My Name
by Joushou-Sensei
Summary: As normalcy returns to the kingdom, normal people go back to normal lives. Except for one woman who upon meeting a mischievous crow has her solitary life thrown upside down. Diaval X OC.
1. Chapter 1

As normalcy returns to the kingdom, normal people go back to normal lives. Except for one woman who upon meeting a mischievous crow has her solitary life thrown upside down.

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Ch. 1 Almost a Party

Living alone wasn't so bad. No one could tell me how to live, no one could judge me, and no one could hurt me. They cast me out because I wasn't what they said I should be, because I couldn't be that simpering obedient dog.

So now I live on the edges of the glade where once grew an intimidating wall of thorns, in a small run down house. I had thought about returning once the princess had returned, things seemed to be getting better, but solitude was a habit that was hard to break. Rumors spread and people came every now and then seeking gifts I could never give. Some think I am an enchantress, others think I am a demon. Either way visitors are few and far in between. I like it that way.

As I pulled up a handful of radishes I could hear the distinct sound of someone running down the path to my humble abode.

"Whatever you want I can't give it to you." I said pulling up more radishes. There was huffing and puffing from behind me.

"Please…Help…me!" Turning to see who the young voice belonged too I was a bit astounded to see a boy no more than eight. He was dirty, red faced and crying.

"I don't do enchantments boy." I said dusting my hands off on my plain brown dress.

"No! Please hide me!" He ran towards me and clutched my skirts desperately.

"Hide you?" By then I heard the shouts of men, and the thunder of horses. The boy shook and wailed. Grabbing his arm I barreled into the small house. It was really just a hovel, with a small fire pit my bed and a wall full of herbs and dried meat. The small cellar beneath my table would hold the boy, but it would be a tight fit. Moving the table and shoving him in the hole I hushed him.

"Stay still, stay quiet." With that I shut the cellar door and went back to gardening. When the horses stopped and what I had thought would be men came I was cutting a spring of rosemary. Upon sneaking a glance up at them I realized that they were in fact trolls. Not the big nasty kind, the smaller man sized trolls that liked to steal from humans. They all had gooey looking grey skin, long pointed ears, and big pig snouts. Had it not been for the combining of the two kingdoms I would have been surprised to see them on this side of the thorn wall. One smiled at me and his yellow teeth seemed comically too big for his mouth.

"Can I help you?" I asked making it clear that they were not welcome. They looked like a bad bunch to get involved with.

"Were looking for a boy, bout ye high." One of them said motioning with his long fingered hand to his knobby knee.

"No one round here." I told them bending to cut another sprig.

"You're that eh…enchantress everyone mutters about aint you?" Another said.

"Couldn't be, I'm not an enchantress." I said looking up now at them. One whistled upon seeing my face.

"Where'd you get that from, you'd be almost pretty without it!" They all laughed and I had to sneer at them. From my ear to the middle of my cheek was a jagged scar, complements of a drunk father.

"Look no kid here, so get lost." I said glaring at them. They looked between each other and chuckled.

"Kid don't interest me no more." Said the first troll obviously the leader. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. A danger of living alone I supposed and one I had yet to encounter, the grip on my knife stiffened. Behind me a crow cawed and the trolls suddenly looked more pale, if possible. Looking behind me I only saw a crow. It cawed again and the trolls mounted their horses.

"You got lucky this time witch." Said one before they galloped away. I was beginning to have an odd day. The crow flew down from my roof to the fence post around my garden and cocked his head one side as if watching me.

"Thanks I guess." I said taking my basket and going back inside. The boy poked his head out from the cellar.

"Are they gone?" He asked in a small voice.

"Yes." I said cutting the stems from my vegetables. He came out from the cellar and carefully closed the door. He began to look around keeping his hands behind his back.

"You can go now." I said looking at him. He stopped to stare at my scar for a moment before smiling.

"Don't you want to know why they were after me?" He asked, no longer afraid and much more mischievous.

"No." I said moving on to my herbs. He pouted for a moment.

"I'll tell you anyway." He said moving to my side and grinning at me. He dug into a pocket and pulled out a small green stone that glowed.

"They wanted this! It's a magic stone, supposed to grant any wish." He said his eyes wide in wonder. Suddenly the crow flew in and perched on my table and the boy jumped before grasping my arm. I waved an arm at the bird shooing him away.

"Go on get out." I had one too many visitor today. The bird didn't even flinch, so I moved towards it with my knife till I stood inches from the table.

"Come on bird, get!" I waved my arm to scare it but in a flash of black smoke the crow was gone. A human held my wrist and deep fathomless black eyes smiled impishly at me.

"You should be careful, swinging a blade around like that." He said casually. If my eyes got any wider they would pop. He laughed and released my arm.

"You should close that mouth of yours lest you catch flies." I slammed it shut and he looked around me to the boy. I took a few hesitant steps back and ran into my counter. Next to me the boy slipped closer until he was close enough to hide part way behind my skirt. The crow…man…whatever sat on my table and swung his black clad legs back and forth.

"Come on now, you shouldn't steal." He said holding out a pale hand to the boy. Looking at him I could only stare in a stupor. He was certainly a human now, clad in all black clothes his shirt open at the chest enough to show some intricate scars of his own. Next to me the boy sighed and dropped his frightened act. He moved towards the man and handed him the stone with a huff, he looked at it this way and that before leaning forwards to ruffle the boys hair.

"Go on then rascal and don't bother the lady anymore." The boy looked back at me and winked. He winked! Before running out and assumedly towards home.

"Sorry about that." The man said hopping from my table and pocketing the stone.

"Kids, am I right?" I shook myself out of whatever stupor he had put me in and pointed to the door.

"Out Crow, just…out." I said.

"Diaval, and you are?" He held out a hand completely ignoring my pervious statement and smiled a charming smile my way.

"Diaval, Raven, Crow…whatever. Just leave." I said ripping my eyes away from his, harder than I thought, and towards my door.

"You really are the most unfriendly woman I have ever met." He said laughing, before walking to my door and pausing.

"I suppose I'll have to guess that name of yours." He said before throwing me a wink, turning back into a crow and flying away. Hopefully that would be all the guests I would be entertaining today.

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Please tell me what you think! This is the edited version, thanks to the reviewer who pointed out my mistake!


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, so a few people seemed to have the impression that this is a Diaval and Maleficent story. Sorry guys, but this is a Diaval and OC story. I hope you still like it though!

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Ch. 2 Scarecrow

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The next day, as I always do in the morning, I went to fetch water. On the way back I stopped dead at my gate. Leaning against my fence was the crow. He waved to me with a smile and pushed off the post.

"Good morning." He said walking my way with a happy go lucky smile.

"What do you want?" I asked, a bit ruder than was necessary, as I walked past him.

"I want to help you with that bucket." He said holding out one of his pale hands. I looked from it to him.

"No." I said making my way to the door. He followed as if I wasn't being obnoxiously rude.

"Well, alright. How about I get the next bucket?" He leaned against the wall of my house as I poured water into a trough.

"Would you stop pestering me?" I asked emptying the bucket. His smile only got wider.

"Give me your name and I will." He said crossing his arms. I decided to ignore him till he went away, and even then it was another few hours till he left.

"I'll get that name!" He said before transforming and flying away.

The day after that he came again, this time at around noon and carrying a bag. I was in the garden weeding.

"Well hello there nameless lady, I come bearing gifts." He said his voice happy yet again.

"Get lost crow." I said throwing a weed at him that he easily dodged.

"I'm growing on you, I can tell." He said sitting the bad down before flying away. Later on poking through the bag I fond cheese and salt cured ham. I drooled at the sight, but the Crow would never know that.

He came the next day, and the next and the next until I had begun to expect him with a sort of resigned annoyance. Each day I tried to express my affinity for solace, each day he would smile and ask me my name.

"Hello, hello." He said causing me to jump. I had been washing clothes in the stream and he had snuck up on me.

"For the love of…" I threw my nightdress down and turned towards him glaring. I was about to shout at him but he held out a rose to me, as black as his eyes.

"A beautiful flower for a beautiful girl." He said cheekily. Was he laughing at me?

"Beautiful. Is that supposed to be funny Crow?" My anger at being surprised had vanished, now I was just plain angry and maybe just a little disappointed.

"What? No, what do mean?" He looked terribly surprised and looked at the flower as if it was the offending one.

"What do you really want? My name? For what? Why do you keep coming here when all I do is tell you to leave? Why do you mock me?" I had gradually risen my voice till I was yelling, and to my mortification I felt hot angry tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Why would you say that word?" I muttered wiping my face and turning to grab my clothes. I turned again to leave and found that he was gone, in his place was the rose. Without realizing it I bent down and picked it up. I walked home in a daze and once I was inside I felt guilt from my head to my toes. He had seemed so shocked and almost hurt. I hated that word, beautiful, but he didn't know that. I decided that today I would do nothing, so I laid down and went back to bed.

The next day I sat in the garden numbly weeding, it was near noon and he hadn't come yet. At dusk I closed my door after staring out of it for a good twenty minutes. No today the Crow wasn't coming. The next day was the same, and the next until I stopped counting. Days became weeks, and soon enough a month had past. Another lonely solitary month. No month in my life had ever been so long. The beginning of August was hot and heavy with heat, and like always with the beginning of the month I had to go into town. I could only provide so much for myself. I gathered my vegetables, some wild flowers and honey I had gathered from a nearby tree and resolved myself to go to town.

Selling honey was easy, and I got top dollar for it. The flowers really were more for young girls, and they sold for pennies. Vegetables were a bit more difficult because cooks liked to barter. I sold them all though and at fair prices. Anyone here would buy from you as long as they didn't know you. After I sold my wares I went in such of others, I needed more seeds and maybe I would get more fabric for a winter dress. My old one was too short anyway.

It was unusually difficult to travel through the market, it had become livelier with the new queen but it was never like this. I was shoulder to shoulder with everyone I passed.

"Oh look! The queen!" Someone shouted. I rolled my eyes, so that was the reason.

"Is that Maleficent?"

"Yes! It is!"

That I would like to see, but getting through the crowd wasn't worth it. The crowd pushed and shoved to see the queen and her god mother and before I knew what was happening I was pushed to the front. I had my hood up of my brown linen robe, and from underneath it I saw the bright lovely queen and next to her the dark beauty of Maleficent. They were wonders of themselves, but as I looked behind them my breath caught. Strolling casually behind the ladies was my Crow. Wait, my crow? Certainly not. The queen moved to look at something and beckoned him closer. They smiled together and laughed and turned my way. I went to move back, feeling a sort of hollowness in my stomach.

A rough push from behind me sent my basket and myself sprawling to the stone road. I cursed and bit my lip, my knees stinging from the impact. The crowd seemed to recede away from me and before I had time to winder about it a long delicate hand reached out for me. Looking up I stared like a deer caught in a hunters sights, the hand belonged to Maleficent. Gingerly I took it and she pulled me up with a strength I could not fathom.

"Be careful." She said in a hypnotic voice. I swallowed a hard lump in my throat, I wanted to thank her but the words escaped me. She smiled and I felt my face go crimson, all I could do was nod. That turned out to be a bad plan, as my hood fell back, a few gasps from the crowd. A delicate eyebrow on her face arched as she took note of my scar.

"Hermit girl!" That voice, the crow. He stood next to Maleficent now gaping at me.

"Diaval, that's a rude thing to say to a girl." Queen Aurora said with a small smile. He looked as if he had not heard her and a part of me, albeit a small part, was relived.

"So you are the girl that keeps my servant from his tasks." Maleficent said with a small smirk, I looked between the three of them and pulled my hood back up.

"That is not my name Crow." I said barely above a whisper. Mortified beyond belief I bowed quickly to them all and turned tail to run, and run I did all the way home. Not one provision bought.

Maleficent sent a knowing look to her companion, he looked somewhat distraught.

"What? You won't walk a lady home?" She asked turning to look at him.

"She'd only…she doesn't want me to." He said watching the hooding girl make her way through the crowd. Maleficent shook her head, she knew a curse when she saw one and that girl was cursed.

"Find out why." She said in a rather commanding voice. Diaval looked at her horror struck.

"Last time I saw her I made her cry!" He said almost pleading for her not to command him. Aurora patted his shoulder.

"Try not to do that again my friend." She said sending a conspiratorial smile towards her god mother. Diaval looked between the two women and sighed, he would never win this fight. He changed back into a crow and began to follow the girl home.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3 A feeling I know well

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As I walked home I realized that this is what hope amounted to. Before the dumb crow I knew not to get your hopes up, not to think too hard about things and that people and the feelings they brought out of you were best avoided. People were spiteful and cruel. Diaval had said I was beautiful, maybe as a joke but the word had stung. He knew the most beautiful people in the kingdom! That had shocked me. Was it truly that he meant to be cruel when he'd said it? I knew well what he saw!

I shook the thought from my head and trudged on, best not to think about what he had meant. After all I knew best that I was far from beautiful to any man, my father had made sure of that. Once I was home I made some dinner and tucked into bed, tomorrow I would have to go back and buy what I needed. For now though, I would sleep and try to erase the thought of Diaval.

Something stirred me from my sleep, a twig snapped an owl hooted, and slowly my brain registered a light rapping on my door. There was no morning light to be seen, outside was pitch dark.

"Who's there?" I asked after clearing my throat.

"A curious passerby." That deep intoxicating voice made me think it could have only been one person, but all the way out here? To see me? Surely not. I jumped from my bed trying to maintain a semblance of balance, and crashing into my table. Brilliant. After righting myself I slowly opened the door a crack, and sure enough Maleficent stood on the other side.

"Well let me in." She said pushing past me and looking at my house.

"But, why are you here?" I asked, more than dazed and confused. Her sharp eyes fell back to me and she looked me up and down. Sauntering over my way I had to fight the urge to run from her. Her pale hand lifted and traced the scar on my cheek.

"Did you deserve the curse upon you?" She asked her voice silky. If I had been stunned by her appearance, now I was mortified to know that she knew. It must have shown. She made a tutting sound and shook her head as if dealing with an ignorant child.

"Any of my kind would see it the moment they laid eyes on you." She lifted a piece of my hair, it was blond but more the color of dish water than gold.

"My father cursed me with hideousness." I said as my hair fell from her hand. She cocked her head to the side and pursed her red lips.

"Then it must be a curse only some can see, to me you look like a normal girl with big eyes and messy hair." She said with a slight frown.

"I will curse you with such hideousness that no man will ever love you, that was what he said." I wondered at how easily I told her the truth, I had never told anyone.

"The scar, it almost glows with hate." She said looking at it closer.

"Then only men can see the curse." She said as if discussing the weather. I had to shrug, I guess that was true I had never tried to ask anyone. She sat down on my little bed and glanced around my room.

"SO you have decided to live the solitary life that is why you turned Diaval away?" At the mention of him I felt my face burn.

"He is cruel, that is why I turned him away." I said my hands clutching at my sides. She laughed then, a loud strong laugh.

"That bird brain? He has no cruel bone in his body." She said as if what I had said was ridiculous. I would not argue with her, most would advise against arguing with a fairy but that didn't mean I had to agree with her.

"Why not break this curse? Why waste away in your hovel?" She asked not really concerned either way.

"It's impossible to break." She shook her head and stood up placing a hand on my shoulder. Small swirls of slight came from her hand and slid towards my face and panic had me squirming away.

"Be still, I want to see what men see." She said holding me firmly in place. My mind screamed at me to run, that I didn't want this beautiful creature to see the ugliness of me. Then it dawned on her face, her eyes widened in disgust, her nostrils flared as if smelling something awful, and her jaw clenched as if to hold back a shout. I couldn't have known what she saw, I myself couldn't see it, but whatever I had looked like had disgusted her and I could see the beginnings of pity growing in those beautiful eyes. At last I was able to wrench from her grip.

"Your own father did this?" She sounded wounded.

"Please just go." I said desperate to be away from her presence, even in the dark she glimmered. At that she nodded and left quickly. She had seen, seen what all other men had seen, what Diaval had seen. I suppose he was the better actor.

The next day I went to market early, bought quickly and scurried home. The whole time frightened that I would see them again. I was turning into a real coward. I had thought about what Maleficent had said about breaking the curse. I had thought about it once, but the idea had died a few days later. For one I had no clue how to break it, my father was dead so he would provide my no clues. I knew nothing about magic, except that it could be cruel, like that would help me. Lastly I was pretty sure a man would have to be involved and with my…condition no man would touch me with a two foot poll. Thoughts such as these had eventually led to me giving up and moving on. Sort of.

So why was I suddenly considering looking for a cure again? I knew that the path was a dead end, so why travel it again? Maleficent? She had said all her kind could see that I was marked with a curse. Maybe they could help me? Maybe she could help…I let that thought die quickly. The fairy god mothers of queens didn't go around helping nobodies. Well, maybe there was at least one fairy in the glade who could help me.

At home I had packed for a small trip, some food, a worn cloak I had gotten at the market, and a small knife. I had decided that tomorrow I would go to the glade and seek out someone's help. Now laying down I really hoped that in the morning I stuck to the plan.

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Okay, so I know that the first three chapters came out pretty quickly. However I plan to try to do a chapter once a week, and post it that Friday or Saturday.


	4. Chapter 4

Well hot damn! I was NOT expecting the response this story it getting. I may have to really pay attention writing now. Let me address a few concerns, chapter one has been edited when I wrote it I hadn't panned out what I wanted our nameless heroine to be cursed with so there were a few discrepancies that have now been fixed. Second, I realized that she seems to be in a constant pity party that's totally intentional. I know I have pitied myself for less than being horribly ugly, come on guys! The good news is though that that will get better (Or will it?) so I hope you keep reading! FYI the pic for this story is what our lady looks like to those the curse doesn't affect.

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Ch. 4 Goodness Gracious

So thinking about doing something and actually doing were two very different things. I could have taken all day to pack, I could have slowly and meticulously made sure I had hidden valuables, but once that was all done I simply stood at the entrance of my house looking out. It was truly laughable. I had crossed this threshold a millions times, but today It was like looking into the entrance of a dungeon. I had dressed in my most sturdy clothes, tossed on my hooded cape, and packed a traveling pack that now hung from my back. It was nearing midday for god sake!

"What ya doing?" The small voice made me jump a mile, and once my heart had calmed down I looked behind me to the table.

"What! What are you doing here?" I had turned too quickly in surprise and nearly fell, to look at the boy on my table. He looked much cleaner today, like his mother had giving him a good scrubbing. Looking at him now I could tell he was a cute kid. Curly brown hair with a red tint, smiling bright green eyes, when he smiled I could see he was missing a tooth, his face was littered with small freckles, he was dressed in rough looking browns and greens and when he swung his little legs back and forth before jumping down I saw a little gold earring on his right ear.

"I like it here." He said simply walking around me and if inspecting me.

"Well I'm about to leave so…go home…or something." I said pulling my hood down a bit. Kids couldn't see the curse but, it was habit now to hide.

"Yeah right, you've been standing there for an hour, I've been watching! Where are you headed? Huh? Is it somewhere fun? Is there treasure? CAN I GO?" His rapid fire questions made my head dizzy. He bounced on the balls of his shoeless feet with a grin a mile wide. I must have been gaping because he laughed at me.

"He's right you could catch flies!" He then opened his own mouth and let his tongue roll out.

"This is you, this what you look like!" He said before pulling his cheeks and blowing a raspberry at me.

"Where's your mother? I think she'll be missing you." Not blood likely, but it was worth a shot. The kid sobered up immediately and stuck his hands behind his back, head down like I had scolded him.

"Nah, momma won't miss me." He said in such a painful voice I instantly felt bad for him.

"Well…where I'm going is…dangerous so you can't go." I said grasping at straws. When he looked up his eyes were shining like emeralds in the sun.

"I love dangerous!" I felt my eye begin to twitch. Then something in my brain clicked. He had said that 'He' was right about catching flies.

"You know the crow?" I asked and wondered at the mischievous smile that graced his cute face.

"I was wondering when you would catch on to that." He said with a voice that made him seem much older than a kid not yet in the double digits.

"Kid, how old are you?" I asked beginning to feel like I was outmatched here. He held up one finger and tutted.

"One question at a time if you please!" He said giving me a look I would have expected from a scolding teacher with a pinched face.

"That old crow is the bane of my existence!" He then said dramatically. His expressions jumped so violently I was starting to wonder if he was crazy. He held a hand to his chest and one in the air.

"He's always one step ahead of me, and thwarting my plots. Like the day we met, he knew I stole that gem. I swear that bird is clairvoyant." He crossed his arms then and shook his head as if reflecting.

"Right…well that's interesting but I think it's time I go now." I said turning once more to my door. I could feel my stomach once again tie into knots.

"If you can that is." He said behind me in a mocking way. I frowned his way and readjusted my pack.

"No amount of dawdling will change the fact that all you have to do is take one step out the door. The door that no matter how long you wait will not close." He said taking that one step as if to demonstrate how easy it was. Out in the sunlight you could really see the sun catching on his hair, it almost looked like a small halo of reds and gold's around his face.

"See?" He said holding out a small hand my way. The kid was right, it was easy, and I just had to do it. Just in case though, I reached out and took that small hand feeling more vulnerable than I had in weeks.

"So this means I can go right?" He asked excitedly and for the moment I wasn't averted to the idea. I think it could have been anyone, but having someone holding my hand made me feel loads better. I shook my head at the thought, what sort of idiot did that make me? A grown woman who had to have her hand held just to leave the house. Pathetic.

"Like I said you'll have to ask your mom." I said receiving a petulant glare.

"I'm going, try and stop me! I'll just follow you, you know!" We had yet to let each other's hands go and without realizing that the kid had been leading me step after step, we had reached the garden gate. I stopped instantly then and looked back at my door, it was wide open. It looked dark and inviting, as if saying it was alright to come back.

"Close!" He said next to me and with a snap of his fingers my door obeyed! It slammed with a whoosh of finality. Looking at him in astonishment he smirked proudly at me.

"And how did you do that?" I asked squinting to scrutinize him closer. His little chest puffed out and he patted it with his free hand.

"Don't you know a Brownie when you see one? Jeez you're clueless, good thing you got me!" He said pulling on my hand and leading me down the path to the forest.

"A brownie? Like a house fairy? I thought they were supposed to be small…smaller and…you know…helpful." I said thinking about what I had heard about the house fairies. He pulled on my arm and I bent at the waist to accommodate, which was a mistake on my part because his bonked me on the head.

"I am helpful! Got you out of the gloomy house, didn't I?" He said frowning at me as I rubbed the spot her had smacked.

"Well…I guess." He smiled at me showing all his teeth.

"Then it's settled! I'm going with you, you need me! Wherever it is that you're going! I'm Bip, by the way!" He said beginning to swing our hands back and forth. After a while he stopped and looked up at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked. He frowned again.

"You didn't tell me your name, or where we're going." He said as if explaining something to a child.

"To the glade, to find someone to break my curse." I said earning a nod and another expectant look.

"And your name?" He asked.

"I don't know it." I said feeling a familiar ache in my cheek. He stared at me for a moment shrewdly.

"That have something to do with that curse?" I shrugged, I honestly didn't know my name, or didn't remember it, if I ever had one to begin with.

"Maybe, I don't know." I said finally releasing his hand, it had been warm. He shook his head and put a hand to his chin in thought.

"That's not good, a name is a powerful thing, ya know?" He looked up at me again and once again his frowning face began to smile again.

"Well the glade is as good a place as any to find one!" He took my hand in his again and began to lead the way once more only this time with my direction.

We walked for an hour maybe, I didn't really keep track of time, and once we reached what used to be the thorn wall Bip stopped me.

"Well I've decided I'll call you mistress, since I don't have a home to be fairy to." He winked at me as he said it and I could feel a smile forming on my face, pulling the scared skin on my face taught.

"By the way why'd you wait so long mistress?" He asked, seemingly genuinely curious. Of course I was beginning to think that with Bip one could never be sure if he was genuine about any of the emotions he so blatantly expressed.

"What do you mean?" I asked and watched in amusement as he smacked a hand to his face.

"Maybe I should call you dimwit instead! I mean why'd you wait so long to take care of your curse?" I laughed at that, really laughed, for the first time in a long time.

"I guess I needed someone to hold my hand." I told him tightening my grip. The little imp was silent for a moment, then his face went a little red.

"Oh shut it! Let's go and find a good place to sleep before dark and you can tell me how you got that scar!" I shook with a laugh and could still see a tint of red on his little cheeks, I wondered if traveling with Bip would be as fun as this.

Above in the trees, a crow hopped to and fro on a branch as the two walked further and further into the glade.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch 5. Easy friend

As night fell it grew chilly. The nocturnal inhabitants of the forest came to life, mushrooms that glowed florescent colors lit up the earthy floor. Every now and then a pair of reflective eyes would watch them curiously, but they kept their distance. Somewhere in the distance the sound of rippling water could be heard.

"Shouldn't we stop soon?" I asked, ten times more unsure of my steps in the dark. Bip stopped suddenly and I almost tripped over him.

"I forgot, humans don't see too well in the dark do they?" He asked patting my hand sympathetically.

"Shut it, I'm sure there's a gazillion things you can't do either." I said pulling my pack off my back.

"Nope, I can do anything." He said with such confidence I wanted to gag. I pulled out a small blanket and sat on the forest floor near a tree. Bip picked through a few twigs on the ground around us and sat them in a teepee sort of pile.

"Light." He said before snapping his fingers. Instantly the twigs caught fire, and once again I reevaluated just how useful the kid was.

"See? I can do anything!" He plopped down next to me, so close that his leg touched mine.

"Yeah, yeah I get it your amazing." I had the urge to ruffle his hair but fought that feeling away. I hadn't touched many other people, I'd take it slow. His wide eyes nearly glowed in the dark of the forest and their wonder suddenly landed on me. His face blank.

"That's creepy. Stop it." I said frowning at him.

"Say that again?" He asked watching me intently. I dumbly thought about what I had said.

"Uh…That's creepy?" He shook his head and fully turned his body towards me and leaned in, automatically my body moved away from him.

"Before that." He demanded.

"You're amazing?" Slowly like syrup oozing over hot pancakes his smile appeared. He leaned even further towards me his hands now on my knees.

"I know right? No one's ever said that to me! I am though right? Totally amazing!" This kid was too weird, but he was certainly amazing.

"Bip, could you get off me?" It didn't seem to effect his happy mood but he jumped off me and picked up some more sticks for our fire humming a happy tune.

"No one has ever said something like that to you?" I asked watching him feed the flames. He shook his head pushing the sticks here and there.

"Nope, I tried to live in a few homes before I found yours but all those humans thought I was an evil spirit so they kicked me out." I laughed at that, I could certainly understand the sentiment.

"What about your parents?" I asked, a hint of sarcasm in my tone. I didn't remember my mother, and my father had never said a kind word to me. Bip looked up at me and cocked his head to the side.

"I'm a spirit, I have no mother, or father. I simply came into being one day." He said shaking his head disappointingly.

"Don't even know that…jeez what do parents tell children these days? Nothing reliable I see." He plopped down opposite of me and from across the fire I could see him staring at the trees above.

"I wouldn't know what they say to children. I was never told stories of fairies." I said poking the fire with my own stick before digging through my bag for some bread and cheese. His eyes went big again at the sight and he crawled back over. I took a chunk of cheese and tore it in two, giving him half, and did the same thing with the bread.

"Any honey in there?" He asked looking over my lap to my bag.

"Sorry, no honey." I said after swallowing my cheese. He looked disenchanted for a moment but sat next to me and dug in.

"Your parents didn't tell you fairy tales?" He asked with a full mouth, I shook my head laughing before thinking about his question.

"No, I don't know my mother and my father was…" My hand unconsciously went to my cheek and traced the scar there. Bip followed the move and seemed to understand.

"Your pop did that to you? Why?" His childlike wonder turned to confusion. I had been this way for as long as I could remember, scar and all. I remember living with him for a while before he went hunting one day and never came back.

"I remember him always shouting about beauty, always angry, always hateful." I looked to Bip and let my hood fall back for the first time all day. He didn't blink, not a twitch.

"Then one day he was beyond angry, he broke a glass and grabbed me. He said something about a no good mother, and dug the glass across my face." I hadn't remembered much after that. The pain hadn't been instant, but it had felt like ice burning my skin. Next to me Bip stopped eating and sat rigid.

"After that every time I went outside and saw a man they would look sick and run from me. To them I am hideous." I suddenly wasn't very hungry anymore. Bip apparently was made of sterner stuff and continued to munch. He was quiet for a while before looking back at me and staring hard.

"All I see is a girl whose pretty face has been scared." He said looking rather sad. My lips twitched upwards and that familiar tautness reminded me yet again of the scar and my father.

"Do you think that once my curse is lifted I could find someone who could heal the scar? Is that possible?" I asked him repacking my food. He nodded and wiped his hands on his clothes.

"I'm sure we could find someone!" He said with a determined voice. He motioned to the fire and began to move his hands around it, and soon little figures began to spring above it. Like little sparks that had broken from the pack to play. They hopped around each other and danced along with Bip's hands. I recognized the intent was to cheer me up, and while the show was enjoyable the fact that he wanted to cheer me up was what made me happy.

Unbeknownst to the two travelers, Diaval stood feet away hidden in the darkness. She had barely intimated the story of her scar and he wanted to know more. Maleficent had said something about it being a mark, a curse. Now he understood, why she hid her face in public, why she lived alone, and why she had been so upset when he had made the comment. It was a little frustrating to see the brownie with her, making her laugh and showing her his world. He wanted to do that. Maleficent had said, give her time, let her grow, but watching the two was making that hard.

Aurora had smiled and winked at him and told him that they would help find the cure to her curse, but Maleficent had shook her head.

"What would that accomplish?" She had asked them. Aurora had frowned at her and bit her lip.

"But surely we could do something to help? Diaval likes her, that's a good enough reason right?" He had smiled at her in appreciation, the ever kind and loving queen. Maleficent had looked between the two of them and pursed her lips.

"We'll look into it. That's it." She said giving Aurora a pointed look that the queen merely smiled at while giving Diaval a thumbs up.

So here he was keeping an eye on her while his friends busied themselves with the mystery of the scar. A peel of laughter shook him out of his thoughts and he looked back over to the fire. One of the animated sparks was shaking its fiery butt at her back and forth and slapping its rear end. She laughed till she began to snort, and then Diaval was shaking with mirth. Bip was rolling on the ground clutching his stomach.

"Mistress snorted! Miss piggy! That's your new name!" the squirt laughed till tears could be seen rolling down his cheeks. How Diaval wished to join in.

'Time. She needs time.'


	6. Chapter 6

A great big thank you and shout out to my Beta! (Hot damn) **I am in Loki's Army **for helping me out! More Diaval too come so keep reading!

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Ch. 6 The Moor

Moving through the dense woods wasn't as easy as one might think. For example, I had tripped nearly seven times that morning over roots, and in holes. With my cloak on I grew frustratingly hot, and sweat slid down my neck. Bip, of course moved through the woods without a problem- not even a small stumble. I let him lead the way mostly because I had no clue where to go, or who to look for. Bip obviously knew the way to glade, but did he know who could help me?

"Where exactly are we going Bip?" I asked swiping an ivy vine away from my face. Bip hopped over a fallen tree and turned to look back at me.

"There's a lake not too far from here. Lots of uh…acquaintances there." He said scratching his chin with a weary smile. His tone made me grim.

"Good acquaintances I hope." I mutter, climbing over the same tree. He forced a laugh and my suspicions rose.

"Well…mostly." He said looking back at me. Well, that couldn't have been good. I hadn't known Bip very long, literally only a few days, and while he could be a little overwhelming, he seemed mostly harmless.

"Aren't you hot under that hood? Why don't you just take it off? No men out here." He said pushing a few branches back. It took a moment to comply but I ended up taking the cloak off and stuffing it in my bag. I felt far too exposed without it but it was much cooler.

We walked through more and more odd vegetation and it was mesmerizing. Flowers grew taller here, things seemed greener and somehow the air here was lighter. Maybe that was because here I didn't have to worry about what I looked like. Bip moved a bit of shrubbery and sunlight poured in blinding me for a moment. After rubbing my eyes I looked for Bip, but he had disappeared.

"Bip?" I moved closer to the bush he had moved and pushed it aside, once again getting blinded. Blinking I took in the sight before me. It was beautiful, the lake Bip had mentioned glistened in the sun. The surface was littered with water flowers of all colors, stone pillars that reached for the sky with ivy crawling up the sides, and the creatures!

Tiny hand sized sprites skipped across the water, the water rippling in rainbows. Fish swam in the air, not the water, and they looked like furious dragons but were lazily floating about. Other smaller creatures busied themselves, neatening the edges of the water. They were all colorful, and carefree. Well…until they saw Bip. He hopped across a few stones toward and island near the middle that held what looked like a throne of flowers and tree branches. As Bip passed creature after creature they stopped what they were doing to stare at him. He planted his feet on the island at last and looked left and right before looking back to me.

"Well this is a fine welcome!" He shouted with his hand on his hips.  
"I brought a human too!" At this I felt my stomach drop, but the creatures around the glade all perked up.

"I don't see a human!" said a bug like creature who was sporting six legs, and had a white lily of the valley hat. Her opalescent wings glittered as she landed next Bip.

"She's a great big scaredy cat, a bit shy is all." He said motioning to me with his hand to come out.

"It's okay, none of them see the curse." I whispered to myself before stepping out of the forest and into the glade. While I was absolutely sure that these creatures had seen a human before, the queen, I seemed to be an oddity. I had been around crowds before, and I hated them, the people on those crowds only saw a hooded figure and paid no attention to me. Here however I was being gawked at.

Bip jumped on the balls of his feet and waved me over. I tentatively took the first stone step and made sure to keep my balance. That was all I needed right now, to ungracefully fall into the lake before all these fascinating creatures.  
In the water little fish followed me as I leapt from one stone to the next, and the bug like creatures hovered just over head watching me curiously. I found myself glancing at them while trying to my balance.

"Nearly there mistress!" Bip said encouragingly. The next stone I landed on was slick and caused me to teeter back and forth before I launched to the island so as not to slip. I landed with a huff next to Bip and an odd looking creature that was ankle high with big eyes and a trunk like nose. It blinked at me and cocking its head to the side.

"Excuse me." I muttered standing up and dusting my knees off. Bip took my hand and spun me to look at the glade.

"This, Mistress, is the Moor, the heart of the fairy lands. Queen Aurora sits here when she visits." He said pointing to the throne.

"Then should we be standing here? I mean…are we allowed?" I asked, wondering if the queen would mind terribly. I had a feeling she wouldn't.

"Of course, the Queen wouldn't mind at all." Said the little flowered hatted big girl. She looked me up and down and her gaze, which was rather sharp, landed on my cheek.  
"Bip, you moron you brought a defective one." She said fluttering her wings. Bip crossed his arm and sneered at her.

"Oh shut it Mink, she's injured not defective!" He said in my defense. Mink pursed her green lips and shrugged.

"Tit-for-tat, why did you bring her?" She asked him seemingly ignoring me now.

"We need a fairy! We're curse bustin' ya see." Bip's chest puffed out in a show of pride again.

"Poor you!" I jumped at the sound of another voice, this one very high pitched. I turned to find a girl with hair like seaweed glistening wet around her heart shaped face. Her big eyes were pink of all colors and blinked up at me from the lake.  
"Poor human, stuck with a brownie like Bip!" She laughed at her own joke and in turn I could see her pointed ears had blue and green fish scales lining them. Behind her, a fish tail swished back and forth gracefully.

"Why's that?" I asked her, looking on in wonder. How many people could say they met a mermaid?

"He's the most mischievous brownie there is, don't you know? He's even played a few tricks on Maleficent herself!" She giggled again and it sounded like hiccups.

"You're a mermaid, aren't you?" I asked leaning down to get more to her level, but when she smiled I fell back onto my rear end. Her teeth were pointed and serrated.

"Who knows?" She said before flipping back into the water and swimming away. "I'd be wary, human. While all the fair folk are fascinating, they aren't defenseless." Mink sniffed my way while Bip grinned at me.

"I'll keep that in mind." I said wondering just how precarious this paradise was.

"I think Cereus is at the base of the mountain. That's probably your best bet. I'd steer clear of the trio." Mink said pointing to a mountain a ways off in the distance. Bip nodded and seemed to absorb that information.

"Who are the trio?" I asked not really understanding why she would tell us to stay away from them. Bip and Mink shared a look before bursting out in laughed. Mink had a laugh that was similar to the hooting of an owl. It had me chuckling along with them. Just laugh with them, especially if you don't know what's going on.

"She means, Thistletwit, Knotgrass and Flittle." He stopped to breath and Mink patted his back.

"Lovely bunch really, good intentions and all, but…not really all that capable. They'd likely curse you on accident." She said readjusting her Lily of the Valley hat.

"Ah, well I think I've had enough of curses so this Cereus will have to do." I said looking towards the mountain and wondering how long it would take to walk there. Days it looked like.

"And I'd tread lightly with her, she's a proud sort." Mink said twitching her wings and flying up to my height.  
"Good luck human. You'll need it." She flew off with a wave to Bip. What an abrupt exit. Bip sighed and looked in the direction of the mountain. "I hope you have enough food for a few days. Counting on the weather being good, and not running into any trouble, it'll take three days." He said ruffling his own hair. Trouble? What trouble could we run into?

"Should we be expecting trouble?" I asked moving next to him and taming a wild lock of hair for him. He looked up at me and hooked our pinkies together.

"Not all the fair folk are fair, or as welcoming as Mink and Tasha." I felt a few butterflies flap their wings in my stomach. He pulled me along and around the throne and we bounced from stone to stone to the other side of the lake.

"DO you know where to find this fairy?" I asked as we walked in the general direction of the mountain.

"Sort of." He laughed. I shook my head but thought. What, with the way we're moving and the fact that we're already this far, I felt that trouble wouldn't be a big deal with us together.

That night we hadn't gone very far but settled in to rest for the night.  
"Good night Bip." I said rolling up in my blanket.

"Night mistress!" He said.

Bip didn't sleep though, he had to deal with a certain someone. He quietly made his way a few feet away and picked up a small rock. "Well? Shall I throw a rock at you?" He asked tossing the rock up and down playfully. Diaval flew down and transformed into his human form.

"Having fun imp?" He asked a bit testily. Bip smiled the smile of a thief who had made out.

"Tons, now do you want tell me why your keeping such a distance?" Diaval had the good sense to look uncomfortable and Bip inwardly did a victory dance.

"I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable…I upset her last time." He said looking anywhere but at Bip.

"Ah ha. I see." Bip laughed. "Well I see an easy fix here." He said, dropping his rock and putting his hands behind his back. Diaval watched the little brownie wearily.

"And that would be...?" He asked hesitantly. Bip grinned at him and his green eyes glinted.

"Why not just transform into…let's say…a dog? Humans like dogs, you know. Then just come along with us. I'll tell her I found a guide." Diaval blanched at the mention of dogs. He hated dogs.

"What about…something else…?Anything else." He said running a hand through his hair. Bip shrugged.  
"Oh well it's up to you, I mean you want to travel with us without her knowing it's you. She has already seen your crow form, and I hear you dish in others as well." Bip batted his eyelashes at Diaval and curtseyed his way. "Up to you crow, good night!" With a snap of his fingers and a poof of yellow smoke, Bip was gone.

Diaval squirmed in his spot before turning back into a crow and flying up into the tree that she was resting against. To be a dog, or not to be?


	7. Chapter 7

thanks again for all the reviews, they really push me to write more! And of course thanks to me lovely beta! more Diaval in this chapter!

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Ch. 7 Dangerous Encounter

I woke up to the sounds of rambunctious laughter. Bip, no doubt. Peeking out from under my blanket I saw the little squirt rolling on the ground in hysterics. I had no idea what was going on- maybe he had snapped sometime in the night. From next to me something gave a heavy, breathy sigh. That snapped me out of my drowsiness in an instant and I snapped my face in the direction.

"AH!" I shouted so loud that Bip began his laughing spree all over again. I practically scrambled up the tree I had been leaning against. Next to me had been a great big shaggy black dog. He was simply sitting and almost rolling his eyes at Bip's antics, not meaning to look so intimidating, but the very sight of him was terrifying. He was huge, probably came up to my hip, his black fur was shaggy and in need of a good scrubbing. His claws looked terribly sharp, and as he looked up at me hanging off the trunk of the tree he seemed to smile and revealed his sharp white teeth.

"Bip…Bip…BIP!" I yelled the last bit to get the rascals attention. Finally he grinned up at me.  
"This is Dee, he's agreed to be our guide to your fairy. Oh, and he's a mighty good friend to have in a tight spot!" He said motioning me down. I slowly and unsurely made my way back down. Dee's shaggy tail began to wag as I cautiously made my way towards him and Bip.

"Are you sure he's…nice?" I asked eyeing him. Bip smirked and gave the beast a smack on the back.

"Course! He's great! Come on, give him a nice pat." Bip said far too happy this morning. Dee sat frightfully still as I stuck out a hand to pat his head. I settled for one quick pat on the head, and began to stuff my blanket into my bag.

As I turned to grab my cloak I jumped, yet again, as I found Dee with my cloak in his mouth wagging his tail.

"Nice doggy." I said still weary of him as I reached out for the scrap of fabric. Behind me Bip chuckled again and stamped out the remaining embers from last night's fire. Dee gave up my cloak without a fight, and soon after we began our trek towards the mountain, nibbling on cheese for breakfast.

Bip hummed while navigating the trees and rocks. He glanced behind every now and then, grinning at me, or throwing a wink, utterly confusing me. Next to me Dee padded along with his tongue rolling out. Odd, shouldn't he be leading us? Wasn't he our guide?

"Bip? Why are you leading the way? Shouldn't…Dee be guiding us?" I asked looking from Bip to Dee whose ears had perked. Bip stopped and turned around.

"Ah yes…well you see I know this part of the forest, it's later, deeper in that we'll need him. So he's…your…bodyguard! Yes, bodyguard! Just for now." Bip laughed heartily and executed a military like about face before walking on. I looked down at Dee and swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat. It was almost like Bip was forcing the great big beast on me.

"Well…Dee…I've never had a bodyguard before." I said feeling strange talking to an animal who couldn't speak back. He made a sort of yip, his tail wagging, and showed those wicked teeth once more.

"Yes, well…This is my first adventure, did you know? I've lived alone nearly all my life…well until Bip showed up one day, well him and this crow." I began to ramble, but I supposed that it was fine by Dee, I mean he couldn't speak back could he? Plus it was easy to talk to someone who could only listen. Dee cocked his head to one side his tongue rolling out to hang in a goofy sort of way that made my lips twitch into a small smile.

"You certainly are frightening aren't you? I know I may look tough but I'll tell you a secret." I said lowering my voice, beginning to have a small amount of fun speaking with him. His ears perked as if waiting for my secret, it was charming really.  
"I frighten easily." I murmured gravely, frowning dramatically. He let out a bark like laughter and I jumped from the volume of it. Bip looked over his shoulder with a small smile on his adorable face.

"Yes, yes, I know very funny isn't it? I know what you must be thinking, what is this girl doing out here? But you see…I'm trying to find a way to get rid of my curse." Dee whined a bit and bumped me from the side gently. My hand found its way to his back and scratched him as if I had done it a hundred times before. I wasn't so afraid of him now, and I found that I was happy to leave my hand on his back.

"Without Bip I never would have come out here, he's probably my first friend ever. He's amazing too, he can do all sorts of things. Maybe he told you about my curse?" Dee shook his head and up front Bip sneezed and rubbed his nose.

"Nope haven't told him a thing! Watch this Sneezfern, I woke it up!" He said pointing out a fern whose yellow leaves were twisting to and fro. I felt Dee shaking with laughter and found myself chuckling along with him.

"Well let's just say that a long time ago I was cursed to be ugly for all of my life." Dee's ears laid back on his head and he looked up at me, confusion in his startling human like eyes. "Only men can see this curse, that's why you don't see it, but you see…there's this…man…that I want to see my real face, what I really look like." It was freeing to say it out loud and once again Dee's ears had perked up. I smiled down at him feeling much better than I had in days, then my foot caught on something.

"Crap!" I shouted before flopping forwards with the grace of a slug. I shut my eyes planning for the impact, but it never came. I landed on the soft shaggy back of Dee with an oof. Bip turned to see and bent over slapping his knee while laughing at me.

"That's real nice Grace!" He said once again making up a name for me. I pushed off of the strong back and straightened up.

"Oh ha ha, laugh it out you little…" I looked down at Dee who had been staring at me.

"Thanks Dee, as you might have guessed I'm none too graceful." I said laughing at my own clumsiness. He barked- I would have to get used to that- and started towards Bip.

We walked for a few more hours, the pace slow and easy, before stopping at a small stream. Dee lapped at the water while Bip and I filled up canteens. I was knelt next to the water, recapping my canteen, when a dark head popped out of the water. It startled me and I would have fallen into the water if Dee hadn't clamped down on my dresses neckline.

"Goodness!" I exclaimed clutching my canteen to my chest. The small black head, literally black as ebony, watched me with two sets of jade color eyes, and no pupil. They set in a line just above a dainty nose. Its head was shaped like a rain drop, the top pointed and favoring the left side.

"Who drinks from my spring?" It asked blinking at me, its eyelids just a clear film. Bip poked his head out from behind Dee and I and gripped my skirt. He looked a bit nervous to me, and that made me feel like I had swallowed a bug. We glanced at each other, I had no idea what to tell the creature and Bip stayed silent.

"No…No one important." I said gulping, and still being held half over the water by Dee. The shiny black creature moved up, as if the water around it moved it. As it moved I was able to see its body. It was the same color as its head, a shiny black exoskeleton, but where its head was sleek and almost pretty its body was a wicked sight to behold. It had no hands, only mantis like claws with sharp barbs neatly spaced out in rows. Its middle was skinny but barbed as well.

"No one, even unimportant no one's, drink from my spring without permission." It said snapping black jagged teeth as it spoke. Dee pulled me back slowly before setting me down on my rump. He growled at the creature and stood next to me defiantly. His hair stood on end, and his ears had laid back onto his head. He looked ready for a fight. Looking back at the creature, who watched Dee with its cold green eyes, I hoped it didn't come to a fight.

With my heartbeat racing I put a tentative hand on Dee's back, but looked to the river creature.  
"I'm terribly sorry, we didn't realize that the spring belonged to you." I said gaining its attention again. Next to me Bip's little hand grasped my arm as if in warning.

"How can we get your permission?" I asked and felt myself scramble backwards as the creature moved closer to the edge of the stream. Dee growled deeply again and Bip moved to stand in front of me.

"Since, you have already taken what is not yours, I want something that is not mine, and otherwise I'll make it so that my water chokes you all to death." Its tone never once changed from that cold calm dark melody. I licked my lips in nervousness, both Bip and Dee had drank from the stream and the thought of watching them both choke to death made my stomach clench in fear. Dee moved to snap at the creature, but Bip was suddenly in front of him.

"Let mistress handle this!" He said giving me an encouraging smile, even though he still looked frightened. I looked back to the creature and reigned in the fear that threatened to make me cry.

"What could I give you? I don't have much." I said showing it the contents of my bag. It moved closer to inspect it, then looked up at me. If I had been scared before, terror now crept up on me. It moved a leg out of the water, and then another, and another, until half of its centipede like body was slithering towards me. It circled me and I nearly shouted as one of its leg pricked against my back. It coiled around me till its face was a breath away from mine.  
"This I have not." It said, its mantis like arm reaching to a lock of my hair. Dee snarled and struggled against Bip, and later I would wonder how such a small boy had held back such a large angry dog.

"You would have a bit of my hair?" I asked wondering if it was some sort of trick. Its sharp arm took a long lock and severed it with one quick stroke.

"Hair is powerful in some magic." It said uncoiling from around me, I had to bite my lip to stay still and not squirm as its many legs poked and moved across my body. Finally the creature was half hidden in the water and looked back at me as it ate my hair, its jagged teeth sounding like glass scraping glass.

"Go then, next time I shall charge a higher price." It said sinking below the water's surface once again.  
I released a breath I had not realized I had been holding and looked to my companions. Bip stared at the water where the creature had disappeared, and Dee plopped his head on my lap.

"You see? Danger lurks everywhere Mistress, but you handled it well." Bip said planting his hands on his hips and giving me a thoughtful glance. I looked down at Dee and patted his head, calming the rapid beating of my heart.

"I thought my heart would burst from my chest it was beating so fast." I said looking from Dee to Bip. He grinned at me and hopped over to us.

"Well you fought through it didn't ya?" He asked giving me a wink.

"It was a small sort of adventure I suppose." I said laughing at him. He glared then, although mockingly, at Dee.

"Fine piece of work this one, first sign of trouble and he wants to attack." He said playfully kicking Dee's hind quarters. Dee turned and snapped out him with a growl and Bip jumped back with a howl of laughter. I patted his head and scratched behind his ears.

"He's only playing Dee." I said. His tail wagged back and forth again and he bent to give my cheek a lick. His soft tongue tickled and I let out a shout of laughter.

"Oh stop that you!" I took his great furry head in my hands and smiled at him.

"And thank you. You saved me again." I kissed his wet nose then before Bip shouted for us to hurry up.

"Let's go you two! I want to get another few miles in!" He hollered, waving us over. Dee had gone stock still while I stood and picked up my bag. His tail had stopped wagging and his big eyes watched me like a hawk.

"Dee? Come on boy, let's go, before Bip plays some sort of trick on us." I said turning to follow my brownie.

Dee hadn't yet regain full function of his body as Bip and the Girl walked on. All the rough dog could think was that she had kissed him.


	8. Chapter 8

Ch 8 Beautiful Mystery

Aurora sighed for the umpteenth time, she sat on the floor with her legs outstretched in a most undignified pose. Around her books and scrolls surrounded, and empty tea cups and plates sat on a large oak table.

"I can't find a thing!" She said flopping backwards with a book still in her hand. Above her on one of the many ladders that leaned against the high bookshelves was her god mother. Maleficent looked over her shoulder and moved a wing to look at her.

"Perhaps we are looking in the wrong place." She said swooping down gracefully next to the young queen. Aurora sat up and looked pensively at the many scrolls and books.

"I suppose there wouldn't be many records of peasant born people, and since such brutality wasn't reported we don't have much to go on." She said blowing a piece of hair out of her face with a huff. Maleficent moved to one of the large windows and looked down at the city below.

"Maybe not, but…someone had to have treated the wound." She said making Aurora's eyes go wide and a grin spread across her face.

"Of course! There can't be too many healers who wouldn't remember treating something like that!" She jumped from her seat on the floor and called for a guard, who promptly came running in.

"Do you know how many healers there are around the city?" She asked nearly bouncing with anticipation. The guard looked from her to the great winged fairy and then back to the queen again in mild confusion.

"I know of at least three your highness, in the city. Perhaps they would know of more?" He said wondering at the odd question. The queen clapped her hands in excitement.

"Oh wonderful! Thank you! Please tell the advisers I will be out for a spell." She said hurrying back over to her desk.

"But my queen, surely you will take an escort this time?" He asked worriedly. Maleficent let a small smile play on her ruby red lips.

"Yes beastie, you should take at least one. The boy perhaps?" She said turning to look at the guard, whose eyes widened before he nodded and ran from the room. Aurora turned to give her god mother a knowing smirk.

"Yes, with Diaval gone I believe Philip would be a great choice." She said before closing a rather large book. Not much later Prince Philip met them at the gate all smiles and pleasantness.

"My queen, Lady Maleficent." He said in greeting, waving to them both. Maleficent nodded to him as Aurora tinted a lovely pink and linked her arm with his.

"I see Lord Diaval is absent still?" He asked inquiring about the dark lord.

"He's away on an adventure, which leaves my god mother and I terribly bored. So we decided to go on a sort of adventure of our own!" She said as the three walked towards the busy city streets. The people in the streets smiled and waved at their beloved queen, but gave her enough space. If anyone ventured too close Maleficent would eye them with an eyebrow raised and they would suddenly find something much more interesting to stare at.

After asking a few merchants at the market the trio finally arrived at the first house of healing. Philip knocked on the old wooden door which had lavender hanging on either side. The door hinges squeaked as it opened and an old man that stooped opened the door. He wore simple brown robes and had nearly no hair, and what he did have was white as snow. He had a kind face that was wrinkled and sun worn.

"What ails ye." He said looking from Philip to Maleficent's great wings. Aurora pushed past Philip gently and smiled at him.

"I wanted to ask you about a girl you may have treated years ago." She said hopefully. The old healer smiled indulgently at her.

"I have treated quite a few girls my dear, after a while they begin the blend into one another, but I will try to remember, what was wrong with her?" He asked his raspy voice still youthfully strong.

"She would have had a terrible wound on her cheek, it left a nasty scar. She's got wild fair hair, and great big blue eyes." She said hoping the description would help. The old man placed his hands behind his back and hummed in thought.

"I do believe I would have remembered something like that, but I can't say that I ever treated a girl with a wound like that. I'm sorry my dear, there is another healer older than me if you can believe it, just past the livestock market." He said pointing down the street. Aurora smiled and thanked him, still undeterred.

The next healer was an old grouchy woman with only one eye. She had taken one look at Aurora and Phillip, then stared at Maleficent.

"Ya don't look sick, what ya want?" She had asked scratching her behind and tying herbs into bundles. Aurora moved to speak but Maleficent held up a hand.

"We're looking for a healer who may have treated a friend of ours." She said her voice deceptively commanding. The healer stopped what she was doing to look up at the fairy with her good eye.

"Well?" She croaked resigned to her company.

"She would have been very young, with a large cut on her cheek just here." Maleficent said running a long thin finger over the old woman's cheek. The healer visibly blanched at the touch.

"Can't say I 'meber that, but Theobald might have, he has a soft heart for kids and lives at the edge of the city." She said resuming her bundling. Maleficent nodded and motioned to leave.

"I think you nearly frightened her to death Maleficent!" Aurora said trying to sound scolding, but coming off amused.

"Yes well, only one more healer left." She said leading the way this time. Aurora and Philip looked at each other and smiled, Maleficent was on a mission. They finally found Theobald's house, it truly was on the outskirts, it was a one room thatched house with an herb garden and laundry line. Just before Philip could knock on the door it opened and a rather large man stopped in his tracks to stare at them.

He was several times taller than Philip, and strongly built. He looked no older than forty, had a shaved head, thick arms, and a small scar running over his left eye.

"May I help you?" He asked looking between the three and lingering on Maleficent before looking back at Aurora.

"My queen." He said bowing his head politely. Aurora smiled at him and he smiled a kind warm smile back.

"I certainly hope so. We are searching for a healer who helped a young girl with a cut on her cheek. It would have been very bad." She said motioning to her own cheek. Theobald frowned and was quiet for a moment before his eyes seemed to light up with recognition.

"I don't know if it was the same girl but about fifteen years ago I treated a young girl who had been brought by one of the villagers. Poor thing was terribly disfigured" He said crossing his arms trying to remember the details. Aurora looked at Maleficent with a wide grin.

"Her face was shredded terribly and swollen from infection, the wound was a few days old when she was brought to me. The woman who brought her said she'd found her on the road to market. I remember her being…" He looked at the trio and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me for saying so, but she was horrendously ugly. The very sight of her would make your toes curl." At this Aurora frowned, but Maleficent nodded.

"Yes, she would have been. Do you know her name? Or perhaps her parents name?" She asked dismissing his comment. He frowned then and shook his head.

"I never got a name from her, and no parent ever came for her. All she ever told me was that she had lived on a goat farm with a red roofed well. She had told me about how she would throw rocks down it and make wishes. The poor thing was so very young, I never did find out how she was hurt." He seemed rather upset about the whole thing but didn't seem to know any more than that.

"Well anything helps, thank you very much sir Theobald." Aurora said as he bowed again to her.

"I only wish I could have told you more." He said as the three turned to leave.

"Oh!" He said as if finally remembering something. Philip, Aurora and Maleficent all stopped and turned to see him smiling at them.

"I remember her talking in her sleep about a woman named Calista." He said nodding at them.

"Wonderful! Thank you Theobald!" Aurora said waving to him as she and her companions walked the rest of the way to the road. Aurora bounced in excitement with the information however vague it may have been.

"Calista? Hmm, I believe it means most beautiful in the east." Philip said scrunching his forehead in thought. Maleficent filed that information away, the curse seemed to revolve around beauty. How terribly wretched.

"Maybe it's her mother's name, now all we have to do is find a goat farm with a red roofed well, and where a Calista used to live. That can' be too hard right?" She asked looking at both Philip and Maleficent.

"One step at a time." Her god mother said as Philip patted Aurora's hand.


	9. Chapter 9

I just wanted to clear up something that Katerinaki pointed out, about why Maleficent couldn't have healed our hero. Just as Maleficent's curse on Aurora had stipulations such as the curse would last till the end of time, true loves kiss, yadda yadda. So does her's, I've already given you one, it must be broken by a man. Plus, I don't think Maleficent is the type to just heal someone right after meeting them. Sure she follows along with Aurora but she loves her. I hope that clears things up a bit for y'all and thanks to Katerinaki for pointing out how that could be confusing.

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Ch. 9 Misfortune Abound

Bip, Dee, and I all peeked through the bushes, praying that the trolls on the other side didn't see us. These trolls were nothing like the ones I had run into a month ago. No, these were huge. They must have been ten feet tall, and all of them had great flat ugly faces.

"Well, should we just wait it out?" I whispered and watched in morbid fascination as one troll picked at his teeth. A small animal bone fell out, making me shudder.

"I say we try to go around them and then just find the path again." Bip said, nodding at his own plan. I looked from the trolls to Bip.

"What if they hear us?" I asked wondering just how good a troll's hearing was.

"They'd eat us, no doubt." He said with a resolute nod. I felt the blood rush from my face and my skin grow clammy.

"And are you sure we'll find the path again if we go around?" I asked in a breathy whisper. Bip looked at me now and his mouth was pinched together.

"Yeah…Sure we would." He said shifty eyed. Dee snorted and rolled his own eyes.

"Maybe we should just wait it out then. They could hear us or we could get lost." I said moving away from the bush as quietly as possible. Dee followed without a sound and soon after Bip did too. We traced our steps back a good ways away from the trolls and made camp for the night. Bip as usual started a small fire, as I dug out the remains of my food. It was measly at best.

"How much further to Cereus' house?" I asked slicing the cheese down the middle and handing half to Bip and giving the other to Dee, I'd settle for just bread tonight. Bip sat down next to me and ate his cheese in one bite.

"I'd say another two days, at our rate anyway, and we still have to pass through the Black Woods." He said pulling his knees up and resting his head on them. On my other side Dee laid down and rested his head on my lap. Absentmindedly I began to stroke his head.

"What are the Black Woods?" I asked, not liking how that sounded. Bip scooted closer and watched the fire.

"It's the woods that are at the base of the mountain. The trunks of the trees are black as night and the leaves are white as snow. It's so deep in the Moor that no one really goes there. It's supposed to be filled with all manners of evil spirits." He said looking from the fire to me.

"What do you mean supposed?" I asked munching on my bread, which at the moment dried my mouth out and only made me hungrier.

"I mean I don't know. I've never gone into the Black Woods." He said yawning then. He poked Dee's nose then and the dog opened one eye to glare at him.

"That's what he's for." Bip said snuggling closer to me and closing his eyes. I couldn't help but feel an odd bit of anxiety about the woods, but the trolls where my foremost concern. Looking down at Bip and Dee, who were both well on the way to sleep, I didn't feel so anxious. Dee was a big dog, and Bip was a capable brownie. Together, we could get away from a few trolls, right? Then we'd get through the woods and to Cereus' house. With my stomach growling and the warmth of my two new friends on either side of me, I managed to fall asleep.

I realized I was in a dream, mainly because everything was moving slowly. I was walking through a wooded area, with shafts of sunlight peeking through the branches and light fog blanketing the forest floor. I walked until I saw a shadowy figure, and oddly enough, it seemed to change shapes and sizes. Its outline changed from what looked like a bear to deer and then to the shape of a man. I stopped dead in my tracks as the figure moved towards me, still obscured in shadows. Just as I was about to see the face of the man, the figure changed again, this time into a dog...a very familiar looking dog.

I woke with a start and was sudden hoisted upside down by my foot.

"AH!" I shouted and scrambled to right myself, but caught sight of what had me by the ankle. A troll. His great big saggy eyes watched me dumbly while Bip and Dee where both shouting to me. Bip was dodging the huge grabbing hands of another troll while Dee snapped at the feet of the troll who held me.

"Put me down this instant!" I shouted at the troll while trying to free my foot. Dee must have gotten a good bite in because the troll yelped and dropped me. I landed in a heap and in an instant Dee was next to me growling. I moaned and rubbed my shoulder that I had landed on. The ground trembled as the troll Dee had bitten jumped up and down on one foot, cradling his other.

"Mistress run!" Bip said rolling to dodge yet another attempt to catch him.

"But-" I managed but began to get pulled by Dee's hold on my skirt. Bip jumped as the troll, tired of trying to catch him, brought down an angry fist and narrowly missed him. Bip managed to jump up onto the fist and nimbly run up the massive arm, once near the troll's face he blew into his own tiny fist and throw some sort of magic at the things eyes. It wailed painfully and rubbed furiously at his eyes. Bip jumped down and raced toward Dee and I.

"Run you moron!" He said passing us by. Instantly Dee and I were on his tail running as fast as we could. Not soon after we could feel more than hear the angry trolls thundering their way after us. Normally, just walking through the woods was perilous for me, so running was completely treacherous. I struggled to keep up with the nimble Bip and the graceful Dee and just as we thought we had outrun danger I felt the ground underneath me give way.

"Bip!" I shouted as I fell scrambling to grab a hold of anything and catching a rather large root. My hands scraped across the surface and slowed my dissent until I was gripping it for dear life. My breath came in harsh gasps and below me I could hear the rushing of water. Bip's head peeked over the now abruptly steep cliff along with Dee's.

"Help." I tried to scream it but it came out as a garbled, whispered plea. I let out a cry as my grip slipped and I fell another foot. I could feel a tear slip out and fall down the side of my face as my wide eyes watched Bip and Dee scramble to find something to pull me up with.

"Bip!" I shouted again desperation coloring my voice. The boy stopped dead and looked down at me with wide terrified eyes. He clamped them shut, his face very grim and fell to his knees, his short arms and hand outstretched towards me. It confused me for a moment, he would never reach me, but then he began to say something I couldn't hear.

His hands glowed a dusty orange color like a sunset and suddenly I felt myself go weightless and begin to float in the air.

"Wha…what…" I stuttered as Bip muttered on Dee watched with intense focus as I floated closer to them. I yelped as I dropped a few feet again only to be pulled right back. Looking at Bip I could see sweat forming on his brow, his dusty magic blinking in an out. As soon as I was close enough I reached out to grab the cliffs edge and fast as lightning Dee shot out and pulled me up the rest of the way. I let out a sob and wrapped my arms around the great dog. I had never before in my life be so terrified. Never. A soft thump pulled me from my terror and I turned to see Bip slumped over and very still.

"Bip!" I shouted leaning over him, pulling him up into my lap. He was deathly pale and so very cold. I moved my ear to his chest and heard a faint thump. Placing a hand over his mouth, I felt little wisps of air escape.

"Bip, please wake up!" I nearly choked on my words. He felt so small in my arms, so very fragile.  
I sat for a while with him while Dee kept a sharp look out for our troll friends. Ever so slowly, Bip's cheek regained their rosy hue, and when his eyes fluttered open, I let out a shout of relief and crushed him against me.

"Oh thank all the gods! You scared the living snot out of me!" I pulled back to see him weakly smiling at me.

"Sorry bout that." He said without his usual vigor. I smiled so widely that the stretching of my scar hurt. "You are the single most clumsy creature alive Mistress." He said, his small hand reaching to tug on my hair. Dee barked to gain our attention and pointed his nose towards a thick sheltering or trees. I gathered the still weak Bip up and followed Dee into the dark cover of the trees.

"I think we should rest here for today. I lost my bag when we ran, so I only have my canteen on me." I said miserably holding the canteen to Bip who drank in gulps. He took a breath afterwards and looked to Dee.

"Be useful for once and find some food, mangy-dog." He said, pointing at Dee. I looked to Dee and he looked back at me before nodding his head once. In the blink of an eye Dee was gone and suddenly I felt much more vulnerable. As the forest began to mist with light rain I hoped that he would come back soon. I pulled my cloak around Bip and I and snuggled us back as far as I could into the brush.

"Hurry Dee." I whispered.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch 10. Red Roof

Aurora was far too excited to sleep. She had been itching to find the goat farm. All night she had tossed and turned trying to sleep, and eventually, in the wee hours of the night, she had finally fallen asleep only to wake up a few hours later.

"Come on let's go!" She said peering into the stables as Philip came out chuckling while leading two strong mares by the bit. They were all tacked up and anxious to go, pawing at the ground, snuffling their noses, and nickering.

"We will be there soon enough!" He laughed, helping her onto her excited horse's saddle before mounting his own. On the roof Maleficent watched with a sort of subtle amusement, while scanning the skies.

"It will rain today." She said, seeing gray clouds in the distance, just above the Moor.

"A little rain could never stop us!" Aurora said, urging her mare into a quick canter. Philip shook his handsome head and followed after her slowly in a springy trot as Maleficent took flight. Finding a red roofed well would be much easier from the skies.

Once outside of the city walls, they passed through the small village that was only a mile out. Aurora had stopped to ask villagers about a woman named Calista and a red roofed well but came up with nothing.

The slow pace of the horses was rather irritating for Maleficent who could cover ten times their distance in half the time.

"I will fly ahead." She said before swiftly launching herself into the sky as the horses bucked slightly in surprise. Aurora looked to Philip with a mischievous smile.

"First one to that tree wins?" She suggested, increasing pressure on her horses reins. Philip smirked at her.

"What will the winner get?" He asked tightening his own reins. The mares were rearing, sensing a race.

"I would want… a kiss!" She said, suddenly urging her horse into a flat out gallop, leaving a laughing Philip in her dust.

"Well, either way I win." He chuckled, following after her in a slow canter.

Maleficent circled the farms one after another another. None of them yielded a red roofed well. She was about to turn back and find Aurora when a small abandoned house caught her eye.

In the overgrown lawn an old well sat leaning to one side and from this height she couldn't see its color well. She flew down till she landed softly next to it. The grass and weeds were ankle deep, the gate to the lawn was old and in disrepair and the windows of the house were cracked and broken in some places. It was a sad scene. She walked to the well and touched the chipping wooden shingles of its roof. The faded paint on her fingers was a dull pink color that had once been red. A smirk lit up her sharp features as she once again took flight, this time, to find a queen.

Aurora had obviously won, and received her kiss. Philip had graciously lost, not too sore about it. They had traveled a few more miles before Maleficent landed in front of them.

"Take the next left in the road. I've found your red roof." She said pointing towards what seemed to be only an empty field.

"Have I ever told you how brilliant you are?" Aurora asked before sending her a million watt smile.

"Not nearly enough." Her god-mother said, following after her.  
It only took another fifteen minutes to reach the old house, and upon seeing it the queen frowned.

"I don't suspect we'll find much here." Philip said, dismounting and moving to help Aurora. She pursed her lips as she hopped off and made her way to the house glancing through a broken window.

"Maybe there will be a clue inside." She said walking to the door. Philip looked in the window before following her inside. The house was musty and a thick film of dust covered everything.

"It's as if someone just suddenly left one day." Philip said motioning to all the furniture and nick nacks still lingering inside. The kitchen still had bowls out, ancient looking herbs still drying above the stove. A table sat in the middle of the room with plates and cups set out as if for dinner. Maleficent ducked her horned head inside and took one look around.

"Maybe they have something that could help us." Aurora murmured, more to herself than to the other two. She began to look through the books on the shelves and through the belongings of whoever had lived there. Philip dug through drawers finding nothing unusual.

Maleficent went back into the one large bedroom. It had one large bed jammed up against the far left wall a quilt messily strewn across it. Next to it was a small wooden night stand with a small book opened. On the other side of the room was a mess of blankets and a sad looking pillow, with a small rag doll laying across it.

Hanging from a nail was a rather nice wooden frame. Its glass was cracked beyond repair and obscured the yellowing drawing behind it.  
Gingerly taking the picture from the wall Maleficent opened the back and pulled out the piece of parchment and turned it over.

Whoever had drawn the portrait had a very light touch and a realistic style. It was only of a woman's face and neck with dark hair framing it. Her slender neck supported an oval shaped face with a small straight nose, high cheek bone, full lips, and big doe like eyes that held no color.

The woman was conventionally beautiful and had a small playful smile on her lips. In the right hand corner at the bottom of the page was the name of the artist.  
"Johan Gregain." Maleficent let the name roll off her tongue before turning the paper over again to read the picture's title. She made a sort of 'hmpf' noise and went back to the main room where Aurora and Philip were still searching the place. Aurora looked up as she entered and looked to the picture.

"Oh, what did you find?" She asked excitedly, hurrying over to her. Maleficent handed her the picture and Aurora let out a triumphant laugh.

"Calista!" She said turning the picture over to see the portrait. She and Philip examined it with glee while Maleficent let herself out of the stuffy house. As Aurora and Philip followed they both looked to her.

"One clue after the next, how will we find this Johan Gregain?" Philip asked rolling the portrait up and putting it in a saddle bag.

"Maybe the archives will have something on him? He was obviously very good." Aurora said as she mounted her horse again. Philip did the same as Maleficent nodded and looked up at the gray clouds.

"Yes, I think searching there first would be a good idea." She said, taking flight as Philip and Aurora urged their horses back to the castle. They had almost made it back before the rain began to fall in soft fat drops. They ate lunch before throwing themselves back into research. Maleficent was nearly bored to tears before Philip let out a gasp.

"AH HA!" He said standing from his chair and nearly skipping over to her and Aurora. He was holding a scroll and smiling ear to ear.

"I found him! Your father commissioned him not three years ago for a fresco in the main hall." He said while pointing to the very sentence. Aurora grinned gleefully at him while Maleficent nodded to him in acknowledgement.

"It says he lives in the abbey, do you think he might still be there?" Aurora asked her god-mother.

"Only one way to find out, but after the rain I think." She said, looking out the window, wondering how Diaval was fairing.

As soon as the rain stopped Aurora wasted no time dragging Philip and Maleficent to the abbey, which was only a few minutes away. Once there the head priest made a mighty fuss about their arrival and sent disciples skittering about.

"Oh, don't mind us we're here looking for Johan Gregain." She said looking around at the faces of the small crowd that had gathered in the abbey.

"Oh, Johan? Of course, he's in the back. He tends the bees for us." The priest said good-naturedly. He led them through the abbey and out a back door into a very well kept garden. Near the back of the garden near a large apple tree sat an elderly man bent over an easel with his back to them. Aurora eagerly made her way over to him with Philip close behind and Maleficent choosing to stay back a ways.

"Johan Gregain?" Aurora asked politely as Johan turned. His hair was beginning to thin, his long face peppered with stubble, and he wore the robes of a priest.

"Yes, that's me." He said looking between the odd three. Aurora looked to Philip who pulled the portrait out of his bag and handed it to Johan. The man who looked to be in his early fifties opened it and surprise washed over his face before a very sad look overtook it.

"Where did you find this?" He asked quietly looking to Aurora. She smiled at him and moved a mite closer.

"In the house that she used to live in." She said while he rolled the parchment up again.

"If you could call that living." He said, a bitter note to his voice. Philip and Aurora looked between each other.

"What do you mean?" Philip asked curiously. Johan sighed and looked up from the ground.

"Calista was a lovely woman, in spirit and face. I met her when I was very young at a festival. She was a singer by trade." He ran his paint stained hand through his short curly hair.

"I loved her from my first glance, but she had already been married to another man." He took a deep breath and stood up. "Her husband was not so kind, and treated her terribly. When I drew that she and I had become good friends." He looked up at the apple tree and a wistful look passed over his face.

"She had a child, didn't she?" Aurora prompted hopefully. Johan's wistful look became one of discomfort.

"Yes, she did, but she had told me that the baby had been stillborn." For the third time he sighed.  
"Had I known that the child was alive I would never have helped her escape him alone." He said his voice cracking a bit.

"What do you mean?" Philip asked leaning in closer. Johan closed his eyes and a shudder run down his spine.

"That man used to beat Calista and tell her terrible things about herself. I expect that her child only reminded her that she was bound to him forever and that's why she told me what she did, and of course I loved her, so when she begged me for help I did all I could to get her away from him." He said opening his eyes again, startling Aurora with the pain in them.

"What happened to her?" She asked hesitantly, while Philip bit his lip nervously.

"I don't know. One day she simply disappeared. Gone, just like that. Her husband came looking for her, angry as a bull. He was the one who told me about the child. After that, I knew that Calista had fled far, far away." He sat back down on his bench and hunched over yet again.  
"I heard that he cursed that child, and he too disappeared after that." He said as an afterthought.

Maleficent moved forwards then.  
"How? How did a human curse her?" She nearly demanded an answer. Johan gaped up at her like a fish out of water.

"I… I don't know. I only know that he said no man would love her, and that that meant the curse was impossible to lift." Maleficent rolled that over in her mind.

"So…in other words…it has to be a man who breaks the curse?" Aurora asked looking between Johan and Maleficent.

"I believe that is what he was inferring to yes." Johan said clearly becoming confused.

Johan excused himself back into the abbey while Aurora sat in his place and Philip paced back and forth.  
"So her father cursed her with a hideous appearance, and made it so no man could bear to look at her." Philip said thinking out loud.

"Then he made it so only a man could break the curse." Aurora said deep in thought.

"That could be a tad bit encumbering." Maleficent said crossing her arms and looking back at the painting Johan had been working on, a nature scene.

"Wouldn't he need some sort of help to curse someone? I mean, he was just a man right? Who would help such a man curse an innocent little girl?" Philip asked causing both Aurora's and Maleficent's eye to meet.

"A fairy." They said in unison while Philip looked between them. Aurora stood up and paced before stopping to look at Maleficent again.

"Do you know a fairy that wicked?" She asked her with a worried expression. Certainly Maleficent knew many fairies, but who would be as cruel as that? No one in particular popped into her mind.

"No one really sticks out as more wicked then me." She said before grinning at Aurora.

"Maybe the aunts will know?" She asked hopefully, and the mention of the three fairies made Maleficent roll her eyes.

"Well we could at least try." Philip added as he and the other two looked between one another.

"Yes, and hope that Diaval is getting a lot further than we are." Maleficent said.


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for all the reviews!

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Ch. 11 The Black Wood

The soft misty rain was held back by the tightly woven brush that sheltered us. The sun had begun to set and I could hear the rumbling of Bip's stomach and feel mine. Bip slept like the dead curled into my side. I wanted to sleep too, I was exhausted, but I couldn't close my eyes. Dee hadn't returned yet, and with the shadows settling in for the night I was too tense to sleep.

Looking down at Bip, I wondered what sort of magic he had used that would exhaust him so much. A spark of guilt crept up from my gut. Once again, I had been saved and this time someone could have died.

A twig snapped and I scrambled to pull Bip closer and hide deeper into the brush. Then I saw Dee poke his head out, my bag in his mouth.

"Dee!" I half shouted in relief as he squeezed his large body into our hideaway. My nose scrunched up on its own accord at the wet dog smell, but I smiled at him.

"Thank you." I said, taking the bag that was far heavier than when I had left it. Looking inside I saw apples, a bunch of watercress, and what looked to me like lily bulbs. Looking up at him I nearly cried. I picked an apple out and took a big bite.

"You've saved the day Dee." I said, savoring the sweet juice in my mouth. I moved over as close to the brush wall as I could and motioned for him to lay next to Bip. He curled his body around the smallest of us, his tail tickling my shins as I turned on my side and finished my apple. I laid my head on my arm, and reached over Bip to lay my other hand on Dee's shoulder. I just wanted to touch him, just to remind myself that he really was there. Now, with Dee back my body no longer felt on high alert and within moments of laying my head down, I was fast asleep.

The next morning I woke up alone, curled in on myself. At first I sat up quickly in panic, looking around for signs of the other. As I scrambled out of the small sanctuary my panic that had been twisting my insides calmed down. Bip was next to a small fire, roasting what looked like fish on sticks. My mouth instantly began to water. He looked up from his cooking to grin a toothy smile at me.

"Good morning mistress." He said turning a fish. I couldn't help but smile at him; the rascal. As I sat down next to him, my eyes wandered about, still not finding what I was looking for.

"Where's Dee?" I asked a hint of worry in my voice. Bip blew on a fish before handing me the stick.

"Probably went out to do his doggy business I imagine." He said taking a fish for himself. I nodded. After eating, I would have to do the same.

"Bip, what happened yesterday?" I asked after biting into the fish.

"As I recall, you clumsily fell off a cliff." He said gently jabbing me in the ribs. I gave him my most skeptical look.

"You know that's not what I mean!" I said forgoing the breakfast to glare at him. The boy took a bite much too big for his mouth and sighed around it.

"I used too much magic is all." He said after a whole minute of chewing his fish. He chucked the now empty stick into the woods and stood to stamp out the small fire. I wondered where he found dry enough wood.

"That's all? Bip you fainted! What if something had gone seriously wrong?" I asked tossing out my own stick.

"Would you have rather fell?" He shouted at me his face twisted in frustration. I felt the irritation I had been feeling vanish and a feeling I knew well spring up in its place; hurt. Gradually Bip's face softened out again.

"I couldn't just let you die." He said resignedly stuffing his hands into his pocket rather shyly. "You're the only one who says I'm amazing." Suddenly, I realized that I hadn't been the only one scared out of their wits yesterday. Bip had been terrified too. I stood up and resolutely made my way to him. He looked up at me with a faint dusting of pink on his face. I bent down to his level and tossed my arms around him, determined to hug the life out of his small body.

"You ARE amazing Bip. Thank you." I felt so…uncomfortable, and foolish, as my throat had decided to constrict on me and make speaking nearly impossible. As I pulled back I noticed his face had gone a lovely dark shade of red. One of his hands came out to scratch his nose as he looked anywhere but at me.

"Yes, well, we all know that don't we?" He said almost in a pout. I smiled and shook my head at his childlike embarrassment.

"I'm going to go take care of something. I'll be right back and when Dee shows up, we'll move on." I said making sure to grab my knife out of my bag this time. A lot of good it did in there. I made my way towards a rather sheltered spot to take care of business, and once done, turned to make my way back. A tall dark figure caught my eye before I could take a step and I dodged behind a tree before he could see me.

All dressed in black, black hair slicked back, and when he turned his scars visible. The crow! I hid behind the tree again thinking of possible reason for him to be out here. I peeked out again to see him speaking to a small bird, probably a sparrow.

"Well, they should find her then, that's our best lead." He said nodding resolutely. I wondered who he was looking for, and a part of me thought it was me but I shot that thought down quickly. I moved a hair backwards and snap, stepped on a few twigs. Diaval's head looked back and forth cautiously as the sparrow flew away. He looked on edge as he walked my way, and I could feel my heartbeat speed up. I moved closer to the tree again hearing the crunch of his approach.

"Mistress! Did you get lost?" Bip shouted and Diaval stilled before I heard him begin to walk the other way. I took a deep breath and let it go grateful to have missed him this time. As I pushed off the tree I nearly fell back in surprise as Dee rounded the tree and sat down to stare at me.

"Oh! Dee! You scared me!" I said placing a hand over my heart as if that would slow it down. If I survived this adventure, I was sure to have heart problems in the future.

Dee stood up and wagged his tail, moving towards our makeshift camp.  
Bip stood waiting for us with his hands on his hips looking a hundred times better than yesterday. "Well? Are you two done?" He asked teasingly. I ruffled his hair and picked up my bag.

"Lead on imp." I said, shouldering the bag. As we began our trek once again, I found myself wondering about Diaval again and again. Who was he looking for? Why was he all the way out here? Bip must have noticed that my mind was far away because he stopped in front of me with an odd look on his face.

"Alright, what's got you so deep in thought? Thinking is dangerous for you." He said playfully. I frowned at him and pinched a rosy cheek.

"Cheeky thing you are." I said as he escaped my grasps rubbing his cheek, while Dee shook with a laugh.  
"If you must know, I saw Diaval this morning out in the woods." Bip and Dee went rigid still and looked at each other.

"Well…that's odd, did he see you?" Bip asked uncertainly. I shook my head.

"No, he didn't see me, thank goodness." I said, my relief obvious in my voice. Bip nodded and glanced at Dee with an odd look.

"Well maybe he's out here looking into something for Maleficent, or the queen." He added before turning around and beginning the trek once again. I glanced at Dee who now stood next to me.

"Remember that man I told you about? The one who I want to see my real face?" I asked him as we resumed our slow pace after Bip. He looked up at me and nodded his shaggy black head.

"That's him." I said, feeling my cheeks grow warm. I readjusted the straps of my bag and watched the ground in front of me carefully.

"About a month ago, the same time I met Bip, he showed up. At first he frightened me, what sort of man could look at me and not at the very least grimace? Then he kept coming around!" I must have had a frown on my face because honestly it still confused me.

"He seemed to exist only to bug me, I thought…I thought maybe he just wanted to mock me. I've known men like that." Next to me Dee moved his head into my hand and I smiled at him scratching behind his ears.

"But, I thought even if that was what he was doing, it wasn't so bad as long as he didn't outright make fun of me. At that point, I sort of liked looking at him." I said, feeling my face grow ever darker in color.

"Then one day he called me beautiful, and I knew he was making fun of me. It hurt, a lot, and yelled at him. After that he stopped coming to see me." I sighed then, the question had been on my mind since then. What if he had meant it?

"So here I am, risking life and limb to show him my real face. Kinda dumb isn't it?" Next to me Dee stopped and in turn so did I to look at him in questioning. He looked almost angry.

"Dee?" I asked, wondering if he was okay, but the dog shook his head and ran to catch up with Bip. Had I said too much? Was he disappointed that that was my reasoning behind my adventure? Or was he angry with something else? In any case, I hurried to follow after them.

By the time we reached the edge of the Black Woods, we had all fallen into a comfortable silence, until Bip broke it.

"From here on out Dee will guide us, Mistress. Be very careful. There are worse things than trolls in there." He said, moving to take my hand as Dee took the lead. The woods were drastically different from the trees around us. It seemed to be made up of nearly all maple trees, but their trunks were black as obsidian, and just as shiny almost like the trees were made of glass. The leaves were a soft white color that seemed to glow, and looked like snow when they fell. It was sinisterly beautiful, but I reminded myself of the danger that lurked within and tightened my hand in Bip's. Dee looked over a large shoulder to us as if asking is we were ready.

"Let's go Dee." I said moving towards him resolutely. Even if my reasons were childish and selfish in the beginning, I was already here thanks to Bip and Dee. I wouldn't stop now.


	12. Chapter 12

Thank you for all the reviews!

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Ch. 12 Black Jimson

The black wood had its own kind of atmosphere, it was still and the air was crisp, like winter morning. When the wind blew the white leaves of the tress clinked together like glass wind chimes. Every now and again I would catch my reflection in the obsidian like tree trunks and frighten myself. Unlike the Moor forest which had many paths, the Black woods had none only deep brown forest floor that looked undisturbed.

"This place give me the creeps." I said thinking out loud. Bip nodded in agreement and moved a bit closer to me. Dee blended in so well with the forest that more than a few times I had lost sight of him. He had been on high alert ever since we crossed over into the Black woods, the muscles in his back taught as a long bow.

"How far do you think we have to go?" I asked Bip, whose emerald eyes scanned the area left and right in a constant state of weariness.

"I don't rightly know, the only one of us that's ever stepped foot in this place is Dee." He said, his voice low and cautious and almost adult like. Further and further into the woods we went, silent as the dead but still making enough noise to cause disturbance in the woods. I was beginning to wonder if in fact we were the only beings in the woods. Bip had said that there were all sorts of evil spirits here, but so far I hadn't seen anything. Not a slug, not a bird, not anything. Just the black trees. Maybe even evil things avoided this place.

Dee stopped and looked back at us before sitting down, I guess that was his way of telling us to take a break. I took my bag off and dug out some food for us to snack on, and wondering how Dee could be happy with just an apple. Bip took two, and when I frowned at him he crossed his arms and said.

"I'm a growing boy!" At that Dee had snorted and shook his head.  
After eating my own share of food I went in search of some privacy, but didn't wonder too far. The forest frightened me more than embarrassment. After that had been taken care of I turned to follow my tracks back to the boys.

"Oh." I was somewhat surprised to see a flower that one of the trees had hidden from me on my way here. It grew right next to the tree, its stem was sturdy, white, and long about to my hips and perched gracefully on top was a black flower. Its petals curved in a windmill shape, grew thinner towards the tips, and looked somewhat like a sharp star. It was beautiful, but what was most eye-catching was the bright purple color of the inner flower. Its pigment so deep and rich it almost seemed to glow.

'Touch…' it seemed to whisper.

I don't know how long I stood there and stared at it, the beautiful thing, but Bip and Dee soon rounded a few trees and saw me just as I reached out to touch it.

"Mistress!" Bip shouted as Dee barked my way, and just as I touched the flower I looked their way. Bip looked pale, like he would be sick and next to him Dee's tail was somewhere in between his legs. For a long slow moment I wondered why they looked so odd, but then a pain so sharp, so all encompassing, shook every thought and every feeling but pain and fear from my mind. My eyes napped to the flower and to my finger that had touched one of its petals, the pain moving from tat finger to my arm, and then to my shoulder until I felt a white hot mind numbing agony to the tips of my toes. In the distance I could hear someone screaming, but before I could wonder who it was I realized it was me. The skin on my hand had gone deathly pale and my vein had taken on a sickly purple color. Then the next thing I knew I was looking up into the canopy of the Black woods writhing, and twitching, and screaming.

"Mistress! How could you be so careless? I told you! Evil spirits are everywhere here!" Bip shouted as he knelt next to me and looked me over. His voice sounded odd though, as if I were hearing it through a plane of glass, or underwater. He took my hand and his was blessedly cool.

"We have to find a fairy. Now." But this voice wasn't Bip's, it was far too deep. As I looked towards it my eyes began to grow dark, but I could make out just barely the figure of a man before my eyes slammed shut. Even in fevered sleep my body kept me aware of just how much pain my stupidity had caused it.

"How!" Bip asked Diaval as he traced her body with his hands aglow with magic. Diaval, now in his human form, looked from Bip to the deadly black flower.

"I can't heal her and if you try, you'll both die. I can fly ahead and find Cereus." He said watching the agony on her face as she tossed restlessly. The veins in her face had gone purple and slowly the poison crept closer to her neck.

"And what if that old bat aint home? What then!" Bip shouted, losing focus on his magic. It blinked out for a moment before he reined his own panic in and went back to trying to stop the spread.

"I'll go find Maleficent." Diaval slipped a hand into one of hers. As soon as he and Bip had seen her, hand outstretched, eyes glazed over in a trance, his heart had stopped, and it felt like he had swallowed a handful of stones. There had been a great rushing sound in his ears and then she had fallen in an uncoordinated fit to the ground screaming as if she was being burnt alive.

"This fairy or that fairy, just go get someone! I'll…I'll try to keep it from spreading, at the very least I'll keep it away from her heart." Bip said trying to put on a brave face but letting a tear escape down his cheek.  
He hated it, hated having to leave her and Bip alone in the Black wood, and it took every ounce of self-control that he possessed not to scream. Instead he transformed into his raven body and flew as fast as possible towards the mountain.

Meanwhile….

Maleficent watched as Aurora had her scribe write down her words. The young queen was pacing back and forth with her hands behind her back, and at his table the scribe scribbled furiously.

"I don't want it to seem like a wanted poster, but I need it to be clear and urgent." The scribe nodded and jotted his own notes in the corner of his parchment. Aurora pointed to the portrait on his desk as well.

"I want this reproduced on all the posters as well." Again he nodded and jotted a note. Aurora went back to pacing, a deep thoughtful look on her face.

"I want the people to spread the word that the queen is looking for this woman, and that finding her, or her coming forward would be a great service to the kingdom." In the corner Maleficent snickered and shook her head as Aurora looked her way.

"What?" She asked looking over at her god mother. Maleficent smiled at her and walked her way.

"A service to the kingdom? Beastie that's a flat out lie." She said peaking over the scribe's desk. Aurora had the decency to look slightly ashamed.

"Well it's not a total lie, it would be a service to me, and Diaval." She said as Maleficent came around the desk and to her side.

"Ah, and that makes this a matter of state for the kingdom?" She asked raising an eyebrow the queen's way. Aurora puffed out her bottom lip and crossed her arms.

"No, it's a matter of friendship. Diaval watched out for me along with you since I was a baby. I would want to help him in any way I could if it meant he would be happy." She said resolutely. Maleficent let a real smile spread across her face and wrapped an arm around Aurora's shoulders. She was about to tell her how cheesy she sounded when a familiar sparrow flew through an open window and perched on her staff.

"Hold that thought beastie." She said as the bird breathed deeply to catch its breath.


	13. Chapter 13

Ch. 13 Cereus

Diaval would have missed the house if it hadn't been for the smoke pouring out of a makeshift chimney. As he landed in what was probably the only inhabited place in the woods, he realized that the house was in fact a tree trunk. It shot up into the air with a slant, and had various circular windows. On the front was a eight foot carved black wood door with a brass gargoyle knocker. He would have to think out how amazing it was later.

He knocked quickly with the knocker, twice, and then after no answer he pushed open the door.

The door creaked and slowly gave way for him, and he cautiously stepped in. Inside he was met with silence, and looking around he noted the fine- if a bit dark- furniture. If this was Cereus' house, then she liked the Rococo Style (A LOT) and the color black.

The large sofa in front of the fireplace was black velvet, its frame a dark polished wood. The fireplace itself was the focal point of the room. It was so large that Diaval could fit in the mouth and stand on his tip toes, with his arms outstretched and still never touch the walls.

On its mantel sat odd looking, rather morbid décor; a jar with a rather large amphibian inside, another with a large raw citrine specimen, a stuffed money that was covered in dust.

"Hello?" His voice sounded hoarse to his ears, desperate as it echoed through the house. There was a pregnant pause before a floor board creaked.

"Hello yourself." Diaval's whole body snapped towards the voice, which had been monotone and dry like it hadn't been used in decades. In a doorway near the back of the house stood who he had to assume was Cereus, and as he took in her appearance, he felt a bit of dread seep into his heart.

She had a willowy figure with skin like a corpse's. Her lips were probably the darkest part of her skin: an ash like gray color. Her hair was just as colorless as the rest of her and straight as a rail. Her eyebrows were odd and drew your eye to them; they arched up and seemed to blend into her small horns that sat just at the ends of her brow. They were only about an inch long, nothing like the grand horns that Maleficent had.

What really made you feel uncomfortable was her eyes. There was no white in them to be seen. They were a solid deep black color. She wore a simple black dress with a turtle neck and no sleeves, which revealed patches of reptilian like skin.

"Are you Cereus?" He asked, swallowing the rock in his throat as she came in to the room, the sway to her walk seemingly almost like a snake slithering toward you.

"Who wants to know?" She said, flicking a black forked tongue out.

"My name is Diaval, and I need your help." He watched her eyebrow raise, hoping he'd caught her interest.

"My friend touched a Black Jimson. Can you help her?" He was beginning to think that he should have gone to Maleficent first- Cereus was altogether too disturbing.

"Interesting. This friend of yours isn't dead yet?" She circled around him as if studying him.

"Can you help her?" He asked a little more harshly then he needed to. Cereus, who was behind him, tugged on his hair forcibly.

"What do you take me for, Raven? Of course I can." She said, a venomous lilt to her voice, the first emotion he'd heard in it. She moved to her front door and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Show me the way, Raven, unless of course you wish for this friend to be in the worst agony possible." She said walking out into the gray light outside. He followed after her quickly, wondering now if Cereus was the best option for his nameless girl.

He looked up as he heard a sickening snap of breaking skin, only to see Cereus' wings emerging from her back. They were ugly to say the least; bat like wings that had holes here and splits there. Diaval wasted not another moment to change into his raven form and lead the way back to his friends.

The flight back seemed to take half the time it took to find the house and, as they landed, he smoothly transitioned from raven to human. He could see that the situation had become dire, Bip was swaying, his magic flickering in and out. The brownie looked up at them and smiled a weak smile before going a sickly gray, passing out next to Her.

"Bip!" Diaval shouted, rushing to the boy's side and turning him over to his back. He looked up to Cereus who had moved to stand over the thrashing girl. The fairy tilted her head to the side and smiled, seemingly enjoying the torment taking place before her.

"Help her!" Diaval shouted angrily as he watched Her arch her back in pain and scream a silent shout. Cereus held out a hand and her magic began to seep out of her like goopy slime that floated around her arm. It was colorless and moved towards the girl. As if the magic summoned it, the girls hand floated up to meet the magic. Slowly the colorless magic encased the girl's arm. Diaval watched anxiously as the black poison of the flower began to be drawn out and into Cereus' magic.

"Come, enough torment for the day." Cereus cooed, as if coaxing the poison from his girl. Soon enough the black veins on her face and neck began to recede, her color came back and as Cereus drew the last of the poison from her, she gave a soft gasp of relief and fell motionless.  
Cereus studied the poison in her magic almost gleefully before opening her mouth wider than seemed possible. Her jaw seemed to unhinge as she swallowed the poison and her magic whole.

With a wave of nausea, Diaval looked away from her and sighed, the tension from his shoulders easing only slightly. He looked from Bip to the girl. The end had been so very close this time, and he felt his throat tighten.

"Luckily for you lot, I've always wanted Jimson. That will cover your costs this time." Cereus said her black tongue slithering out to lick her lips. She bent down her pale hand reached out to brush through the dirty blonde hair of his girl, had he been in his dog form his heckles would have risen. He most certainly did not want the snake to touch her.

"Interesting that she survived so long; Jimson can kill in seconds. Tricky thing Jimson. You can't harvest it from the flower itself, and it kills so quickly that its nigh impossible to take it that way too." She pulled a strand of hair up to her nose and sniffed.

"The host has to be actively dying in order to draw it out. Lucky me." She said with a grin, showing snake like fangs behind her ash gray lips. Diaval couldn't help but feel at this woman's mercy, and maybe that was why he absolutely couldn't stand how close she was to the girl. Cereus' black eyes moved his way as if sensing his stare.

"Who are you lot anyways? Why venture here?" She asked, watching him without so much as a blink. Diaval looked back to the girl, wondering how much she would want him to reveal.

"We were coming to see you." He said motioning to the girl.

"She's cursed." He finished, hoping that was all he's had to say. Cereus looked back down at the girl and blinked.

"That is obvious, but why come to me? My costs are high and she looks poor to these eyes." She said, tracing the scar on the girl's cheek. She grinned once again, almost looking like she was having fun.

* * *

I must have died. There was no pain anymore, and when I opened my eyes a terrible Angel of Death was smiling down at me. If this was my guide to the afterlife, I had a feeling I'd be going to Hell.

"Is this Hell?" I asked, moving an arm over my eyes, the effort it took winding me.

"No, but if that's where you want to go, I know the way." She said in a hiss-like voice, her voice like sandpaper to my ears. Looking around I found that I was still in the forest, and as I turned my head I saw Dee and Bip. Bip looked awful, lying on the ground.

"Bip." I moaned trying to move towards the two.

"The brownie will live but if he should perish I knew a few uses for his eyes." The Angel laughed, a humorous undertone in her voice.

"You'll have no part of him." I said, meaning to sound intimidating and totally failing. Dee moved towards me and his wet nose nuzzled my cheek.

"Thanks Dee." I murmured, finally sitting up with great difficulty and Dee pushing my back. The Angel knelt in front of me and her eyes startled the breath from me.

"I like the looks of this curse." She muttered. "How did you acquire it?" She grabbed my chin and turned my head so as to get a better look at my scar. I shook her off and stared at her.

"It's a long story." I said, not particularly keen on explaining the story to her. She nodded and stood up.

"What you mean is you don't know." The Angel corrected, a snake like tongue flicking out at me.

"We were looking for the fairy Cereus before that... flower." I said whilst pointing to the now wilting Jimson flower.

"Well, your… dog here found me. I am Cereus. I can help you but the price will be high." She said, grinning at me. I stared at her in wonder, and not the good kind. I had expected someone bright, airy, less…frightening.

"How much? I don't have a lot." I said, wondering what fairy charged for her gifts.

"Yes, I can see that. We shall discus prices at the house, now come and bring your brownie." She said, opening her wings and leaving the three of us in our spot.

"Well… now that my near death experience has passed, we'd better hurry after her. I don't think leaving her waiting is a good idea." I sighed, struggling to stand. I pulled Bip onto Dee's back and grabbed my bag. Dee lead slowly as I stumbled my way after Cereus

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Thank you all for your reviews!

I modeled Cereus after a horned viper, I wanted her to be as far from inviting as she could without just being terrible.


	14. Chapter 14

this is the last chapter for this week, work is about to kick my butt, and school is works dirty sidekick but hopefully by next week I'll have a few more written up.

I hope you are all enjoying the characters, and THANK YOU so much for over 100 reviews!

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Ch. 14 The End of This

Cereus was more hospitable than one would have thought and while her house's tree was odd, on the inside was a gothic dream house.

The moment we had knocked on her door, she'd welcomed us in with a straight face and flat voice. Wonderful smelling tea sat on an ornate coffee table with biscuits that sat on a silver platter. Maybe it was a business ploy, meant to make me more willing to pay whatever price she asked, but the moment I sipped her iris tea I didn't care. It must have shown because before we could begin that discussion, she offered me a bath (sweet lord!) and had placed a quilt over a still sleeping Bip.

So currently I was blissfully washing a few days of grime off in a large clawfoot tub. Right now all concerns were miles away.

"This is Heaven." I said before dipping under the water to rinse my hair. As I came up and decided to get out, a black towel suddenly materialized as if I had thought it into existence.

"I could get used to this." I said, smiling as I stepped out of the tub. Grabbing the towel, I wrapped it around myself.

"Don't." Said Cereus' flat voice. I jumped, startled.

"Ah!" I tried not to shout but the shock of hearing her voice was a bit much- it scared the bejeesus out of me- so when the door slammed open, I thought it would be her.

"Hey, I get that it's your house but shouldn't you knock… or…" My words left me when I turned to see it wasn't her but Dee. He was poised half way through the doorway, the rug bunched up under him as if he had skidded to a stop.

"Oh. Dee." I said dumbly before smiling at him.

"I thought you were Cereus." I explained before turning to the mirror that was half fogged up to make sure I was as clean as I felt. I could clearly see my face and what was reflected seemed to bother me less and less.

I dropped the towel and reached out for the dress Cereus had lent to me. It was a deep green cotton, much nicer than my linen dress, and was a simple cut with elbow length sleeves. I heard Dee make a sort of strangled noise as I pulled it on and then the patter of his paws leaving the room. Weird dog.

I tried to tame my hair, brushing through it with my fingers and went back to the living room where everyone was at. It was awkwardly silent with Dee sat near the table determinedly staring at the floor, Cereus sipping her tea in a wingback chair, and Bip glaring her way, nibbling on a cookie.

"Thank you for the bath, it was glorious." I said politely, sending a smile her way and taking a seat next to Bip whose color was coming back to him. It was hard to smile at her.

"Of course." She said, leaning forward to pour another cup of tea. As she slid the cup toward me she stared at the scar on my face for a moment before leaning back in her chair and smiling a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"That curse is beautiful work. Who did it?" She asked, a tone of admiration in her voice. I took a sip of the tea (it was so damn good) and cleared my throat.

"That's the thing. As far as I know, my father cursed me. But, he was human." I said, looking towards Bip as he scooted closer to me. He nodded at my questioning look, silently telling me he was okay.

"What about your mother? Was she human?" She asked, lacing her fingers together under her chin. I shrugged, I didn't really know the answer to that.

"I think she was human, but I'm not one hundred percent sure. I never met her." I said, looking at her curiously. It was something that had never really occurred to me. Could my mother have cursed me instead? Cereus nodded, taking in this information.

"This curse is not visible to everyone, correct?" She confirmed, standing up and walking to a bookcase.

"That's right. Only men can see it, and, apparently, it's horrible to witness." I murmured, feeling Bip's hand curl around mine.

"I see." She mused aloud, pulling an old looking book from the shelf and coming to sit back in her chair.

"There's something else." I said nervously as she began flipping through the pages. "I don't know my name. I feel like I have one, but... I can't remember it. Could that have something to do with the curse?" I questioned, watching her carefully as she stopped mid flip and looked back up at me.

"You've forgotten your name?" Cereus asked, seemingly confused, as the words came out softly. I nodded, hoping that she would understand this quirky side effect. She frowned, turned a few more pages, and then nodded.

"I must say, losing a name is a problem. Names are very important in magic. What are you called then?" She asked me, her finger following a sentence in the book.

"Many things." I said, unable to keep a pitiful tone out of my voice.

"Nothing good, I imagine." She said, and I thought I could hear a hint of sympathy in that flat voice of hers.

"No, nothing good, until recently." I said squeezing the smaller hand in mine. She stopped reading then and tapped the page, her tongue slipping out quickly.

"Well, I know this type of curse. Tricky thing." She sighed, closing the book.

"Can you help me then?" I asked hopefully, feeling butterflies in my stomach. She stared at me for a good minute.

"It would not be impossible…" Cereus said, shrugging her shoulders. I could feel the disappointment in the back of my mind.

"This sort of curse has to have certain conditions met. It may be simpler than you think." She stood up and moved to put the book back.

"What did your father say, when he cursed you?" She asked sliding the book back into its spot.

"He said to me: no man will ever love you." I answered, trying to remember the exact words. She laughed then, a short halting bark.

"There you go then, that's the condition you have to meet." I felt a rock lodge itself in my throat. If that was what I had to do, then I would never be free of this curse.

"Isn't there something you can do? Can't you just break it with your magic?" I questioned, feeling smaller and smaller on this couch. She turned to look at me and shook her head.

"No. The price for that would be too high. No one would be willing to pay for that." She said quietly, coming to stand behind me.

"What price?" I asked, desperation making its way out of my mouth now. Her white hands slipped subtly onto my shoulders, and the skin underneath them began to tingle.

"To break a curse like yours, I would require a life- and your memories. All of them." She said her mouth next to my ear. I felt my whole body go still- maybe my heart even skipped a beat. That price _was_ too high.

"There is another way to escape this fate." She said, and funnily her voice held a sort of sweetness in it. The tingling in my shoulder seemed to move down towards my legs.

"Another way?" I asked, feeling less and less in control of myself liked I'd drank too much wine. Next to me Bip ripped his hand from mine and jumped away from us, Dee was next to him in a second.

"Don't listen! Mistress!" Bip looked like he was shouting but it was hard to hone in on his voice.

"Yes. If you weren't human, the curse wouldn't be valid. It would be broken by default." That voice had taken on a silky tone, something you wanted to listen to. I saw from my peripheral vision Dee launching at Cereus, white fangs ready to tear into her. She removed one of her hands from my shoulders and with a flick of her wrist sent him hurling into her bookcase with a thud. The absence of that hand shook me from whatever sort of influence she had.

"Not human?" I asked, and could barely hear my own voice. My chest felt like it wanted to explode, a sort of painful fuzzy feeling was gathering there.

"Exactly. I could make you a bird, or a wolf." She looked to Dee who was recovering from his bout with the bookcase. Bip was suddenly in front of me his hands on mine at my knees.

"She's not a coward like that! Right? You don't need to escape the curse! You want to break it! Don't you?" His voice seemed to battle with Cereus' voice, and behind me I heard her chuckle- a deep, dark laugh.

"Will I break it? Bip, maybe I can't." I said, feeling Cereus' hand clench my shoulders tighter.

"It would be nice… to be a bird…" At that point I thought of another bird… a black bird.

"All it would take is a bit of blood and you would be free." Her silky voice said, her snake like tongue flicking over my ear.

"Let go of her!" Bip shouted angrily.

"Just say the word." Cereus said softly.

"You're all I have." Bip said then, his green eyes shining up at me. I was being pulled by Cereus' luring words, and then by Bip's sad, frightened face. Before I could make my decision Cereus was ripped away from me with a violent tug.

"Enough!" A third voice, a deep voice with a sort of gravelly sound, said. As Cereus' magic began to leave me I shook myself to attention and turned to look to that third voice. Cereus was there face to face with Diaval.

"Enough of your venom." He spat, his face thunderous, my mind was going a million miles a minute. Dee was gone, so that led me to believe that Dee was in fact Diaval. A million feelings went through me at once, mortification was one that kept coming back.

I'd told him everything; he'd seen my stupidity all throughout this journey, and now he'd also seen me naked. I wanted to cry, I could feel my face going a bright shade of red, but strangely I felt safer now that he was there.

"Crow." I mumbled unconsciously before swallowing the lump in my throat. He snapped his attention away from a grinning Cereus to me. He looked extremely angry, but his face went a little softer when he looked at me. I must have looked so confused.

"If all it takes is a man who cares for her to tell her so than make me a man." He said, looking back at Cereus who had been oddly quiet, and was grinning far too much.

"No!" I shouted, standing from the couch, but Bip took my hand and held me back.

"It's fine." Diaval said looking over at me as Cereus placed a hand on his shoulder. As her magic moved over him he closed his eyes and let it happen. Cereus looked to b having a wonderful time.

It was far from fine, he was becoming human to help me... because he cared for me. That made my face grow hot again, but then a cold dread washed through me. Once he was human he would see everything, which meant that he'd never seen my curse, which meant that what he'd said that day hadn't been a joke. He'd meant it.

"I thought this might work out." I heard Cereus say with a light sort of gleeful tone, but I couldn't take the time to think about what she'd said because her magic was receding. Diaval was human, and as he took a gasping breath he turned to look at me.

I clenched my bottom lip between my teeth so hard I was probably bleeding. My heart was pounding so hard that I'm sure that everyone could hear it. As he looked at me, I could see it, what I saw every time a man looked at me. His deep eyes went wide, he visibly swallowed, his hands clenched along with his jaw, like he was fighting something.

"I… I…" His mouth slammed shut, and in halting precise movement he went to the door. He wasn't angry anymore, that I could tell, but something else. Afraid? Disappointed? Miserable? Without turning to look at us he opened the door.

"I'm sorry." It was like he'd forced those words out, and then he was gone and the door slammed. It had all happened in seconds.

"Perhaps you would have been better as a bird." Cereus said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.  
"I thought he'd be able to do it." She sighed.

I was frozen in my spot, staring at the door. His words had punched a hole through my chest. It felt hard to breath, it was hard to think. Was this what it felt like to have your heart broken? Bip pulled on my hand, and I slumped to my knees. It was only when he wiped my cheeks that I realized I was crying. Everything was wrong, my heart was beating but I wondered, what was the point?

"Mistress?" Bip asked as Cereus came to stand next to us.  
"Home." I managed to say, my voice hoarse and quiet. Bip nodded. Good, he'd heard me.

"You can stay here, go home when you are well enough." I looked up at Cereus, she looked different, like she'd taking off a mask. Her usual blank face was weary, almost... ashamed. I didn't care, I just wanted to cry, to curl up into a ball and cry.


	15. Chapter 15

Can I just say I loved everyone's reaction to the last chapter, if your emotionally involved at this point then I know I'm doing something right!

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Ch. 15 What my eyes see

Diaval had never run from anything in his life. Nothing. He'd never thought of himself as shallow or cowardly, but as he run through the Black Woods and crossed over into the Moors, he felt just that. He stopped and bent over, his hands on his knees, to catch his breath. Instinct had told him to get far, far away when he'd seen the extent of her curse. He felt faint picturing her face again.

"It wasn't her." He said to himself, as if he needed convincing. He didn't though, he knew what she really looked like.

A pretty, if serious face; there were no smile lines around her mouth that was full and pink, bright, clear blue, almond shaped eyes that seemed to see through you, and a straight nose that had the cutest point at the end.

He knew what she looked like. Even her scar was beautiful to him. How many times had he caught himself reaching out to touch that hair? That dark blonde unruly hair?

But, that was not what he's seen. She'd gone from quiet forest angel to the very devil itself. Had Maleficent seen what he'd seen? Why had she not warned him? He shook his head at his thoughts, Maleficent couldn't have known that he would give up being what he was to be human.

When Cereus' magic had left him, he'd felt heavier, solid, and it gave him the confidence to look at her. But humans are fickle creatures, he reminded himself.

The lips around her mouth had vanished, leaving only her teeth and the gory skin around them. Her eyes weren't there, only two dark voids where they should have been. Her once beautiful hair was replaced with stingy gray remnants. Her face itself had been warped as if a clay master had taken what was once symmetrical and twisted it so that it seemed to be in process of swirling.

Even her body, which had once been normal for a woman her age, was effected. She was hunched over, her hands larger than they should have been and twisted as if with severe age.

It was shocking, sickening to witness, and as much at he'd thought he could overlook it, he'd not given it much thought. His feelings had not changed of that he was certain, he cared deeply now for her and if she'd been here, he was sure he could tell her. He'd tried to do just that in the tree house, and he would have meant them, but something had stopped him, some force he couldn't understand. His heart had stopped, his mind had gone blank staring at her, and an instinct to run had taken over.

"There has to be something more…" Diaval worked his way to the spring where the Queen sat every now and again. What had stopped him?

Sure, normal men who'd never really seen her would certainly never have stuck around long enough to know her. In that effect, Diaval thought that the curse operated in only that simple capacity. But there was something else, something… wrong.

He sank to his knees near a tree. What must she think? How terribly had he hurt her? He felt his stomach turn at the series of his thoughts. The whoosh of strong wings brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked up in time to see Maleficent gracefully land in front of him.

"I felt something was wrong." She said simply, taking in his appearance. She frowned, and her mouth pursed. "What's wrong with you?" She asked studying him as if she didn't know what to make of him.

"I…I'm human." He said, using the tree next to him to steady himself as he stood up, he was more tired than he thought he would be. He was seriously regretting his human body now.

"I can see that." She said as if he was wasting her time. Diaval shook his head and licked his lips, they were unusually dry.

"No, really human, as in can't change back." He murmured, staring at what he considered is oldest friend. Her sharp bright eyes widened in understanding and they roamed his body head to toe, her mouth even went a little slack. Her hands moved and she flicked her wrist and sent a wave of her magic at him, but nothing happened it simply fell to the forest floor.

"I don't understand." She said more to herself. Diaval nodded.

"It's not a curse, I asked Cereus to do it." He said, clenching his hands to his sides. Maleficent sent him an astonished look.

"You asked for this?" Her voice was deceptively calm, but Diaval saw that fire in her eyes.

"You asked Cereus, no less, to be human?" She stormed over to him and took his coat in her hands to shake him. "Are you mad? Why would you do that!?" She seemed more upset for him than anything so he let her shake him about.

"I thought…I thought I could break her curse." He almost whispered, feeling shame color his pale cheeks. Maleficent stopped her assault and looked him in the eyes.

"You thought? Then you weren't able to?" She asked just as quietly. Diaval bit his bottom lip and shook his head. No, he hadn't.

"The way it sounded I thought that she just needed a man to tell her he cared for her, I thought it would be that simple." He tried to explain how it had happened, how Cereus had almost forced him to act.

"But it wasn't that simple was it? You saw then. Her face." Maleficent closed her eyes and shook her head, almost seeming to be in pain.

"Yes… I saw…I tried to say it, I truly did, but there was something… I don't know how to explain it. It was like some invisible force was stopping me, my eyes couldn't leave her face until I forced myself to turn around." Diaval stopped suddenly and looked to Maleficent.

"Her name…Maybe I need her name!" He said but then shook his head.

"No that doesn't make sense." Maleficent stopped him there and crossed her arms.

"Actually, we've been searching for her mother. She'd know her name." Diaval stared at Maleficent in silent thanks. "She's not been found yet but Beastie is doing everything she can, I'm not actually sure it's legal." She said sending him a small smile.

"What's she look like?" Maleficent asked curiously, coming to stand next to him. Diaval shuddered as he explained all that he'd seen. Maleficent's face looked confused.

"That's not at all what I saw." She said grabbing him under his arms and without asking took off upward through the trees.

"Would you warn a man first?!" He shouted as she soared towards the castle in the distance.

"It must be that the curse shows up the worst possible vision our minds can imagine…that's why you and I saw someone different." He couldn't hear her all that well at the speed they were going, but an idea had wedged its way into his brain. 'Maleficent's eyes saw something different than mine…. Her eyes saw something different than mine.'

As they landed on a terrace of the castle, Aurora came sprinting out of the castle waving to them with a worried expression, Philip not far behind.

"Diaval! Are you alright? Maleficent said there was something wrong and then just left!" She huffed, as she came to a halt in front of him.

"I'll survive." He said bitterly, that misery coming back to his tone. The fair haired queen nodded and took a deep breath.

"Well you two are back at the perfect moment, you'll never guess who's just turned herself in." She said almost proudly. Diaval and Maleficent shared a look and she gave him an 'I told you so.' Look.

"Turned herself in? Was she wanted?" He asked as Aurora took his hand an ushered him along with her.

"Not in a criminal since, but I don't think she knows that." Philip said, walking next to them.

"What does that mean?" Diaval asked as Aurora opened the door to the great hall where subsequently was the throne. In the middle of the room flanked by two palace guards was an older woman with dark blond hair pulled back in a simple bun. She fidgeted with her hands and when she heard them come into the room she looked up. Diaval stopped in his tracks, causing Aurora to turn and give him an annoyed look.

The woman was an older unscarred version of his girl, only her eyes were dark, not the blue the girl had, and the woman had streaks of gray in her hair. Aurora left him to stand gawking at her and took her seat on the throne, a serious countenance taking its place on her face.

"Your name?" She asked and all the hall went silent. The woman moved forwards and gave a curtsey.

"Calista, your majesty." She said, her voice soft and clear, if a bit deep. Aurora nodded and motioned her closer with her hand. Calista looked worried, and unsure but did as she was asked.

"My friends and I have been searching for you." Aurora's tone held no room for argument, and sounded as if this woman had done some terrible deed.

"Your majesty, I've no idea what I've done, but I have come willingly." She said looking at the ground as she spoke.

"I know what you've done." Aurora said and something in her tone made Diaval believe that this woman had done something terrible. Calista's head snapped up at she stared wide eyed at the young queen.

"You abandoned your child to a monster, that's what you have done." Diaval couldn't ever believe that Aurora could be cruel, but the look the young girl was giving this woman bordered on cruel. If Calista had gone any paler she would have been a ghost. She stayed silent and once again looked the ground.

"While that in itself is atrocious, I have summoned you for a different reason. I want to know everything you know about your daughters curse." At that Calista's eyes fluttered up again and confusion was written on her face.

"Curse?" She asked clutching her hands to her chest. Aurora watched her closely as if determining if this confusion was real.

"Yes, she has been cursed with ugliness so that no man will ever love her, and on top of that she has no name. What mother would leave a girl without a name and in the hands of a man like…" Aurora stopped, her voice rising in frustration. Calista shook her head and the beginning of tears clouded her eyes.

"What… what did he do to her?" At this point Diaval could hardly stand to watch; striding forward, he laid a hand on the woman's shoulders.  
"Please just tell me what you know. Does she have a name?" She looked at him for a moment and sniffed.

"Viveka. Her name is Viveka." She wiped a tear away and then stiffened as Maleficent cackled in the corner with a venom not unknown for her. Everyone turned to look at her as she shook her head.

"The cruelty of humans never ceases to amaze me. You named your own flesh and blood after war and terror? You should have left her nameless." Diaval felt the woman shudder and then Calista fell at his feet and wept so soundly he gave Maleficent a look.

"I was young… I hated him… every part of him and she… she was part of him too…. I'm sorry… I… I know I can never take it back… I never even tried to find her." Her voice cracked and her body shook. Aurora stood and came to stand next to Calista and looked to Diaval before placing a hand on Calista's shoulder.

"Then make this right. Help us." She murmured, softer than before, as Calista looked up at her.

"Her father was half fae… it's possible he cursed her… but I… I don't know. I never even knew until we married." She said, trying to rein in her tears. Aurora nodded and looked to Maleficent who was taking that information in.

"Come, we'll talk in the library." Aurora said as she and Diaval helped Calista up.

"Are you the one trying to break her curse?" Calista asked looking sadly at Diaval. He nodded and gave her a tight lipped smile.

"Yes, I am." And somehow saying those words made him feel like he hadn't lost yet, his desire to save her returned in full force and he gripped that desire hard in his heart.

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I would love to hear everyone's thought on how to break Viv's curse! what theories are out there?


	16. Chapter 16

Ch 16 Loop Hole

My skin was warm- too warm. Cereus had started a fire in the massive fireplace with a flick of her wrist and then proceeded to make more tea. She busied herself with this or that and seemed to avoid looking my way. Bip did exactly the opposite. He scouted as close to me as possible on the couch, which only made me hotter, and took my limp hand into his.

He was saying something to me, I could hear his soft voice, but nothing he said seemed to filter into my brain.

I wondered if time was stopping- every passing moment felt longer than the last -and I wondered if at some point it would stop altogether.

"I want to go home." I said, although the voice that came out was hollow and not my own. In the kitchen, Cereus stopped and next to me, Bip frowned. Cereus turned to look at us, and I was almost shocked to see her sad face.

"I understand. I really do. I'm sorry I messed this up." She moved towards the couch and sat down opposite of me. It was odd and alarming to see her face looking so… normal.

"I tried to be a godmother you know, but I never quite got it right. I thought I could help you but…well…" I felt a bit of sympathy for her, but it quickly faded.

"I just want to go home." I said again, watching her as she nodded.

"I'll get you home then. It's the least I could do." Next to me, Bip stood up.

"You're a right mess." He snarled, pointing at Cereus, who flinched at his tone. Bip pulled me from the couch gently and held my hand as Cereus led us to the front door. Once outside she held her hand out, palm up and mumbled something unintelligible. Her goopy magic oozed from her hand and formed an orb in her palm. It seemed to harden into what looked like a glass ball that was crystal clear. She motioned for me to take it and, hesitantly, I did. Instantly, a warm feeling tingled through my hand.

"I'll give you this for your trouble. It's a Journeyway." She said, clasping her hands behind her back. Bip pulled my hand down to look at the glass orb, his eyes wide.

"All you need to do is think of the place you want to be the most, and then Bip here just needs to give the thing a bit of magic." Cereus instructed, nodding to Bip who looked up at her in shock.

"I-I don't have that much magic in me!" He stuttered, a bit flustered. Cereus smiled coyly and chuckled, making me shiver.

"A brownie has as much magic as his master allows him, and I put a bit of myself into the Journeyway as well, as a farewell present." She murmured, bowing her head a fraction. I was suddenly overcome with the feeling that Cereus was lonely. Odd, morbid, and a bit frightening, but lonely.

"I'll visit you then." I hadn't meant to say anything, but my mouth spat the words out quick enough. Cereus' black pit like eyes snapped to me then and widened, but she stayed silent and so did I. I knew what being lonely was like.

"Bip, let's go." I said, holding the Journeyway with both hands as Bip reached up to touch it. My mind was rather void of any thoughts so conjuring up an image of my shotty house was easy.

Bip's had glowed with his own orange colored magic and my stomach dropped to my toes. The sensation of falling made me nauseas and the sudden forward whip like motion had my head snapping backwards. Then it was over in an instant, and Bip and I stood near my front door in the same positions we had been in back at Cereus' house.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Bip moaned as he bent over and placed his hands on his knees. The nausea faded after a few deep breaths and the Journeyway grew colder. Instead of the skin-flushing warm heat it had emitted, it was now only lukewarm.

"I'm going… inside." I sighed turning to open the door. Inside it was exactly the way I had left, not a thing out of place and yet…it didn't feel like home anymore. I walked over to the rackety old bookshelf near my window and placed the Journeyway on an eyelevel shelf.

"As nifty as that thing is, it certainly leaves a bad taste in your mouth." Bip said as he closed the door. I nodded, but I couldn't taste anything. I doubted very much that I could taste anything now anyway. I went over to my bed and flopped down on top of it, not tired but not jumping with energy either.

"You know, mistress, Diaval… he's…I think… I mean I trust…" Bip seemed to stumble for words and when I looked over at him, he was fidgeting.

"I think I'll take a nap." I said quietly. I didn't want to talk about the crow- I didn't want to think about him.

"Right, I'll just… find something to eat when you wake up." He murmured with a sad sort of tone.

In the library at the castle, a butler brought tea in at Aurora's request, and Calista sat near an ornate coffee table with all eyes on her.

"I would like you to stay in the castle and help us to break your daughters curse." The queen said, sitting opposite of the woman with a stern countenance. Calista looked up from her tea cup with a worried look.

"I'll try my best your majesty, but I don't know anything about the curse or…" She trailed off and looked back down at her cup.

"Or about your daughter." Maleficent finished for her. Calista's grip on her cup flinched a fraction and she nodded shamefully. Aurora sighed then and looked to her godmother.

"In any case, as her mother, help us." Aurora stood and Calista scrambled to follow suit and curtsy as the queen left the room with Maleficent and Philip right behind her. Diaval stayed, leaning against a bookshelf. Calista hesitantly looked over to her and she looked like a drowned kitten.

"How did Viveka come to have such friends?" She questioned, sitting back down on the couch as Diaval pushed off the shelf and moved to follow the other three out the door.

"It was I who pursued her." He said walking behind the couch she sat on. She turned to look up at him as he did, and her hand shot out to catch his wrist.

"Have you tried to break the curse already then?" She asked in a low voice that was almost a whisper, though he wondered why she would whisper.

"I have." He answered, watching Calista's face as she bit her lip.

"And?" She asked again, turning more in her seat. Diaval shuddered at the thought of what had happened.

"I couldn't… I couldn't even look at her." He admitted, pulling his wrist from her hold with ease. "I couldn't stand the sight of her." He turned and marched towards the doors without looking at her again. Every time he did, he saw a bit of Viveka, and it stung.

"Then don't look." Calista said suddenly and with a very quiet calmness. Diaval stopped in his tracks, his hand on the door knob. He turned to look at Calista who had stood up and was watching him. She pointed to her left eye, her mouth set in a grim line.

"Blind men don't see beauty or ugliness." She said as Diaval processed what she was telling him. Would that work? Was the curse weak to that sort of loop hole?

"I thought you said you didn't know anything about the curse." He said mistrustfully. Calista's hand feel back to her side.

"I only know what you've told me." She sighed, giving him a small, rueful smile. Diaval suddenly rushed from the room throwing the doors open.

"Maleficent!" He shouted, chasing after the three figures that were descending the grand staircase. Philip was the first to turn around and Diaval nearly ran smack into him, but Philip caught him and helped to steady his friend. Maleficent and Aurora both turned to look at him. A delicate eyebrow rose on Maleficent's face.

"What?" She asked as Aurora moved close to Diaval looking rather worried. Diaval stood straighter then and stared almost defiantly at the great winged fairy.

"I may know… how to break the curse." He said, his deep gravelly voice making the hairs on the back of the three's necks stand on end.

"How?" Aurora asked first, catching his hand in one of hers.

"I need you to take my eyes." He said resolutely. Aurora gasped then and shook her head but before she could speak, Maleficent looked up to the balcony that they had just come from. Watching the four of them was a somber Calista who stared back unflinchingly at the Maleficent.

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Hello all, sorry this took so long I'v had to really focus on school!


	17. Chapter 17

Ch. 17 Rolling Thunder

~Diaval~

Maleficent quirked a delicate eyebrow; Diaval's face had never looked so lively. His chest was rising and falling from his quick jog from the library, his cheeks were flushed an unusual pink and his large black eyes watched her with an unnatural glint behind them. "You want me to do what?" She asked slowly, enunciating the last word. He licked his lips nervously and took a deep breath.

"Blind me." Diaval repeated, his hands clenching at his side. Maleficent shook her head.

"No." She said with a tone of finality. Aurora had been silently watching the scene next to Philip.

"Diaval why do you want to be blind?" She asked, thoroughly confused. Diaval closed his eyes and sighed.

"Think about it: a man can't look at Viv thanks to the curse. If I'm blind the curse won't affect me." He elaborated, as if explaining a simple idea to children.

"But couldn't you just close your eyes? Or just not look at her?" Philip asked crossing his arms in thought. Diaval shook his head.

"You don't understand how powerful the curse is. When I looked at her I couldn't look away, as much as I wanted to." He explained, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"But you did look away eventually didn't you?" Aurora asked. Diaval nodded and smiled at her.

"I did- but only after I bit my tongue hard enough to hurt like hell." He opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue where the queen saw an angry red line of teeth marks sat near the middle of his tongue. It was silent between the four for a few moments until Maleficent sighed frustrated.

"So, you're saying that her curse will draw a man's eye no matter how they try to look away, and that say…covering your eyes wouldn't work? Aren't you just guessing?" She demanded, crossing her arms. Diaval nodded.

"I'm not so much guessing, I just think that a curse like hers isn't so cheap that a simple blindfold will overcome it. I think it needs serious action." He said looking to Philip for manly help. Philip's eyebrows rose and he quickly nodded to the ladies.

"I agree. I haven't seen Miss Viveka but Diaval has and as women you two don't know the power it may have over a man." He said sliding to stand next to Diaval. Aurora and Maleficent looked between each other, Aurora frowned clearly upset about Diaval's plan.

"You realize that spells, or charms, or even curses on humans is infinitely more complicated than casting one on a raven? It took a great bit of power on my part to curse Aurora." Maleficent said uncrossing her arms and letting a rare uncertain look cross over her face. Diaval nodded but gulped unconsciously.

"What if I can't give your eyes back once you break her curse? If you can." The faerie questioned in a deep voice.

"Then I'll be blind." He answered, resolute in the fact that he had to do it. Aurora placed a delicate hand on his shoulder.

"Dee." She said so low that he had to strain to hear her. He put a hand over hers and smiled sadly at her.

"I want to break this curse. I can't imagine the hurt she felt when I left. All the people around her abandon her. I don't want to be one of them." He said and Aurora wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged her friend tightly.

"If her curse could have been broken with true love it would be broken already." She said softly. Diaval felt his face light up tomato red. As  
Maleficent watched the two in conflict, a small amount of envy ate at her and twisted her stomach. However, she stifled those feelings; Diaval was one of her closest friends and she knew her possessiveness of that friendship were what was making her feel slightly jealous towards Viveka. She shook her head; she wasn't losing him, but she desperately hoped that what he was asking for wouldn't hurt him in the end. That it would work, as much as she doubted it.

"Is this what you truly want? Taking your eyes will be easier than giving them back." Maleficent said as Aurora broke away from Diaval and sided over to Philip, who slyly took her hand in his. Diaval stood a bit taller, he'd had to crouch for Aurora, and nodded.

"I understand." He said a frown. Maleficent made her way forward and in two long strides was an arm's length away from him.

"I hope you're right." She said reaching out a hand to cover his eyes, her golden magic seeping from around the edges of her hand. It took only a moment, the hall lit up in that golden glow, and then Maleficent's hand was gone along with the usually comforting glow.

Diaval's hands went up to his eyes as he blinked in rapid procession, but he only knew his hands were on his face because they were his hands. He couldn't see them, he couldn't see anything but an infinite darkness. He was, surprisingly to him, much calmer about it then he thought he would be. There was a tick of fear in his stomach but that was all. Everything sounded louder, he could smell Aurora's flowery scent much stronger than usual.

"Well?" Maleficent's strong voice asked expectantly and the volume although normal enough nearly made him jump.

"About as much as could be expected." He said trying to sound light hearted about it. Maleficent shook her head in resigned dismay, where Diaval's eyes had once been, fathomless dark pools like obsidian, now they were a milky white gray that bespoke of his now sightlessness.

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~Viveka~  
Viveka sat back on her haunches and wiped some sweat from her brow with a gloved hand. She'd spent most of the morning weeding her garden. Her time spent running around the Moor had been hard on the one thing she was proud of. She had felt a pang of guiltiness that morning when she had walked outside for the first time in three days, in which she'd spent wallowing in self-pity, and saw her garden overgrown with weeds and her sweet pea plants that grew up her garden fence brown and dead.

"Mistress! I made us some lavender water!" Bip, who had been so falsely up beat since they'd returned, bounced out of the house with cups in hands. He ducked under the fence and handed her a chipped clay cup full of sweet smelling water.

"Thank you." Viveka said great fully, sipping the water and wondering how he'd gotten it cold. Then again she thought, he was magic.

"I could help, you know." Bip said plopping down next to her and touching a wilting wild flower, his hand glowing, and bringing it back to colorful life. Viveka felt a small smile pull at her scar.

"I know." She answered, covering his hand with hers. Bip looked up at her and stared. She was still in the soft cotton dress that Cereus had given her, wearing an old raffia garden hat over her hair and ratty old garden gloves on her hands. She still smiled now and again, but somehow it was different. Now her smiles were resigned, sad. It was almost palpable, her sadness, and Bip hated feeling so helpless.

"Thank you Bip." Viveka said, giving his hand a squeeze before she downed the rest of her water and went back to pulling weeds.

Bip silently gathered her cup and his and made his way back to the house. He'd done everything he could to make her house better, well everything that a brownie could do. He's exhausted himself of his magic more often than not repairing the house, like the cracks in the windows, and the creaky old bed. Now it was spotless, he made sure of that, and nearly like new. As he washed the cups, and then fixed the crack in the clay cup that he'd missed, he heard the rumble of thunder in the distance.

Viveka looked up from her work as the thunder rolled in, the once cloudless sky quickly going gray and a cold wind blowing violently, rustling the trees. She held onto her hat as she gathered her garden tools into a wooden bucket and made her way to the house. Sitting the bucket just outside the doorway, she looked up at the sky and pulled her hat off.

In the distance, lightning struck out between the dark clouds in a flash of dark purple. Something inside, something close to her chest,felt off kilter, like the world had gone sideways. It almost felt nostalgic, but not in a good way.

"Bip, do you feel…odd?" Viveka asked over her shoulder as Bip came to stand in the door way with her.

"Not particularly, but the clouds sure rolled in fast didn't they?" He moved to the fire place and started a small fire. Viveka shivered as a cold wind rushed past her into the house making her hair whip around her face.

"I have a feeling this storm will be particularly bad." She sighed, closing the door and latching it.

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Hey there! thanks to everyone who's still reading! 18 will be up soon!


	18. Chapter 18

Ch. 18 Unmasking

Diaval stood in front of one of the huge windows in the castle library. He could hear the loud pitter-patter of hard rain hitting the glass and wondered if the storm looked as bad as it sounded. He placed a hand on the cold pane of glass, and could even feel the vibrations from the rain.

"You certainly are devoted." The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he whipped around to see who was behind him in surprise, an old habit.

"You certainly are quiet." He said slowing his breathing down. With his blindness he'd learned that he was almost impossible to sneak up on but whoever this person was had done just that. The voice was familiar, but he couldn't place the almost sinister tone.

"You would go so far as to blind yourself for her." She was closer now, he could smell a musky grass smell from her. A hand ran up his arm in an almost caress.

"Who are you?" He demanded snatching his arm away from her as she chuckled a low husky laugh.

"Do I really sound so different?" She whispered now on his left side and close enough to his ear that he felt her warm breath on his neck. Diaval stumbled away from her still very unused to not being able to see, and nearly tripped over a chair. "Don't be so skittish, I won't bite." She was far enough away this time that a semblance of safety returned. He gripped the chair tracing over the carved wood and tried to remember where he was in the room he knew so well.

"I just wonder… what sort of person you are that you'd give up so much for my daughter." It was like a light had been flipped on in Diaval's head, and then confusion shot through him. This was Calista? She'd sounded so different- not at all like the meek woman he'd met.

"You sound…" He wondered what to say but before he could say anything she'd moved closer to him again maybe an arm's length away.

"Different?" She said darkly, and he nodded turning to face the way her voice had come from. A sigh had him on edge in an instant. "There's a reason for that." She stood up and must have intentionally made noise as she moved so that he could follow her blindly.

"I'm not what you and your… friends think." She said. She must have been near the window now.

"Why tell me?" Diaval asked uneasily. Why would Calista tell him now? She'd done a one eighty over the period of hours.

"Now that you're blind you'll figure it out without me telling you." She said, articulating the word blind.

"I… I don't understand." He mumbled moving slowly around the chair.

"I didn't lie when I said that Viveka's father is half fae, but what I conveniently omitted was that I am too." Calista's voice had dropped to a dangerously low tone. Diaval felt himself frown.

"Then… you are both fairies?" He asked, confused.

"No, fairies and fae aren't the same." She explained, tapping the glass window lightly.

"Fairies, like your Maleficent can freely use magic. People like me- and fully fae people- must pay a price." Diaval was quiet and absorbed what she was telling him. Sure he'd heard about those who were fae, but they were few and far in-between and when Aurora's father had been king and relations between the people of the Moor and the kingdom had been tense, no one who was fae announced the fact.

"That still doesn't explain why you sound like a different person." He said moving a step closer to her.

"Unlike fairies the fae only have one or very few talents. Mine is illusion, but it can't affect you any more since…well you know." Diaval felt his stomach drop. She had tricked him into asking for his blindness.

"Viveka's father was good with anger and spite and he valued beauty above all else. He could use it for the most atrocious things. It's no wonder really that he cursed her." The nonchalance with which she said it had fury bubbling up in his chest.

"If you knew he'd do it then why leave her!?" He shouted, bowling over the chair and moving her way angrily. She snorted a laugh.

"Why would I have taken her? As far as I was concerned, she was an unfortunate outcome of a thoughtless act between her father and I." She had ice in her veins, and the image of the beautiful meek woman he'd seen was lost in an instant.

"You're terrible, no better than that man." He said with deceitful calm.

"Maybe so, but I didn't come for your judgment." She retorted, and even though he couldn't see she waved her hand in the air dismissively.

"Then what did you come for?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"Viveka is fully fae, or close to it, I want that power." She explained, moving to right the chair that he'd knocked over.

"Then get it yourself." He hissed, turning to leave, his hands out to his side to feel his way.

"And here I thought you were the intelligent one of the group. If I could do that I'd have done it already." Diaval stopped as he felt the handle of the door.

"Viveka's father didn't curse her because he hated her, in fact of the two of us he probably held more affection for her then he ever did for me. However his talent for spite meant that he'd use anything as a means to get back at me." She moved past him silent like a shadow and opened the door.

"I can't go anywhere near her- I've tried- so I have to assume it's something to do with her curse. He must have known that one day I'd figure out how to take her power for my own and made sure that I couldn't." Diaval didn't move and his hand were clenched so tight that it hurt.

"So you used me." He said dangerously. Calista made a positive sound next to him.

"Yes, I did, but you can't say that it isn't mutually beneficial. I get what I want and you get what you want." She placed a cold hand on his cheek and traced her thumb over his eyelid.

"And with that fairy, you'll get that sight of your back as well. Must be nice to have infinite power." She said with acid in her voice.

"It's disgusting how obliviously happy you people are. You all truly believe that happily ever after really happens." She took her hand away and laughed a cold, bitter laugh.

"Go on then and lift her curse, I'll be waiting." She said and then the smell of grass was gone and Diaval's fist shot out to the side and hammered into the door. The situation only got more and more complicated, and a questioned nagged him all the way down the stairs as he carefully made his way down them.

What would happen when Calista took the power Viveka had? Did Viveka even know she had it?  
With a hand on the wall he made his way to where he thought Maleficent would be, all the while unaware that Calista watched him from the front door.

* * *

DUN DUN DUN


End file.
